Broken Tooth, Greenwich: Chipped, Cracked or Broken a Tooth?

Q: My chipped tooth isn't painful. Should I still get it fixed?

Usually, and sooner is better. Once enamel chips, the softer dentine below is exposed to wear and decay, and every bite can extend a crack. Fixing it while it's small costs far less than a crown or root canal treatment down the line.

Q: Why does my broken tooth hurt with cold?

The break has uncovered dentine, which passes sensation straight to the nerve, and sealing the area with a filling or bonding normally settles it. If the pain lasts for minutes, throbs without a trigger or wakes you at night, the nerve is probably inflamed and the tooth will need root canal treatment.

Q: My tooth has broken off at the gum line. Can it be saved?

It depends. Sometimes a build-up and crown will rescue it; sometimes not. We take an X-ray to see whether enough healthy root sits above the bone. If the tooth can't be kept, we take it out gently and discuss replacing it with an implant, a bridge or a denture.

Q: I've knocked a tooth out. What should I do?

Pick it up by the white biting part and avoid touching the root. Give it a quick rinse in milk, then press it back into the gap if you can; if not, keep it in milk. Phone us and aim to be seen within an hour, because the sooner it goes back in, the better its chance of surviving. Don't put a baby tooth back in.

We can repair most broken teeth on the day, and when they're seen promptly, nearly every one can be saved. Stay calm, save any fragments and phone us.

Call 020 8788 6688Book a same-day appointment WhatsApp

We charge £70 for an emergency appointment, whether you're registered or not, and dental plan members pay nothing. Outside our hours, NHS 111.²

What to Do Now

Until we can see you.

Keep the Pieces

Bring any broken piece with you, stored in milk or a little saliva. If a front tooth breaks cleanly, the piece can sometimes be bonded back on.

Rinse, Then Protect

Use warm water to rinse your mouth. Then press orthodontic wax or sugar-free chewing gum over any sharp edge, so it doesn't catch on your cheek or tongue.

Manage the Pain

Take everyday painkillers at the dose the packet gives. If the tooth is sensitive, keep to the other side when chewing and avoid anything very hot, cold or sweet.

Call Us

Ring before 9.30am, Monday to Saturday, to be seen that day, whether or not you're registered with us. A tooth knocked fully out needs seeing within the hour; our emergencies page explains what to do.

How We Fix It

The repair depends on how much tooth has gone and whether the nerve is affected. You'll see the damage for yourself on an X-ray.

Front Tooth, Small Chip

Rebuilt and reshaped in composite on the day, needing little drilling or none: composite bonding, from £375.

Broken Corner or Filling

Fixed with a white filling from £105, or with a build-up (£350) if more tooth is lost.

Cracked Back Tooth

Before the crack can spread, a ceramic onlay or crown binds the tooth together. Onlay £650, crowns from £650.

Painful or Exposed Nerve

The pain is settled with root canal treatment, from £590, and a crown follows.

Below the Gum Line

A tooth broken this far down can't always be kept. We take it out gently, then plan a replacement, ranging from an immediate denture up to an implant.

Chipped Veneer, Bonding or Crown

We repair or replace it and check your bite to stop a repeat, with a night guard if grinding is to blame.

Call 999 or Go to A&E When

You were knocked unconscious, or have hurt your head

Your mouth is still bleeding after 20 minutes of firm pressure

Swelling starts to affect your eye, your breathing or swallowing

Your teeth no longer meet as they normally do, which can mean a broken jaw

Call Us the Same Day If

You've had a tooth knocked out, loosened or pushed out of place

The broken tooth hurts, bleeds from its centre or shows a pink spot

A back tooth has lost a big piece

A jagged edge keeps catching your tongue or cheek

Your crown, veneer or bridge has come away; bring it with you

Fees

The emergency visit has its own fee, and you'll have the cost of the final repair in writing before we start. Fees last reviewed October 2026.²

Emergency visit, patient or not	£70
Temporary filling	£70
Front tooth, white filling	from £105
Composite bonding, a tooth	£375
Onlay in ceramic	£650
Back tooth, ceramic crown	from £650
Crown re-cemented	£70
Root canal treatment	from £590

See every fee

Questions

Whether the tooth can be kept, what it costs, and the options if not.

Can you repair a broken tooth on the day I come in?–

Frequently. We can usually bond a chip on the day, while a bigger break is repaired with a filling or build-up, or covered with a temporary until a crown is ready. The emergency appointment costs £70, and we give you a written quote for the permanent repair first.

My chipped tooth isn't painful. Should I still get it fixed?+

Why does my broken tooth hurt with cold?+

My tooth has broken off at the gum line. Can it be saved?+

I've knocked a tooth out. What should I do?+

Guides

Guides for a Broken Tooth

All general dentistry guides

General dentistry · 6 minute read

Bonding in Greenwich

Broken a Tooth? Call Us

Call before 9.30am to be seen the same day, Monday to Saturday, registered or not. Outside our hours, NHS 111.

Call 020 8788 6688Book a same-day appointment

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