If you’ve just chipped a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water, save any tooth fragments you can find, and call your dentist to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Most chips are fixable, and what you do in the first few hours can make a real difference in the outcome.
What to Do Right Away
Start by gently rinsing your mouth with warm water to clean the area. If the chip left a sharp or jagged edge, you can cover it with a piece of sugar-free gum or dental wax to protect your tongue, cheek, and gums from cuts. If there’s bleeding, press a piece of clean gauze against the spot until it stops.
If you can find the broken piece of tooth, save it. Place it in a small container with milk or saliva to keep it moist. Dentists can sometimes reattach the original fragment using dental adhesive. A study in Dental Traumatology followed 43 reattached tooth fragments over two years and found that 93% were still fully intact and functional. Reattachment preserves the tooth’s natural shape and color, making it one of the best outcomes when the fragment is available.
To manage pain and swelling, hold ice or a cold cloth against the outside of your cheek near the chipped tooth. You can also suck on a piece of ice. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help. However, if the inner nerve tissue of the tooth is exposed (you’ll likely know because of intense, sharp pain), avoid putting anything very hot or cold directly on the tooth, as that will make the pain significantly worse.
How to Tell if It’s Urgent
Not every chip is a dental emergency, but some need attention faster than others. A small chip that doesn’t hurt and only affects the outer enamel can usually wait a few days for a regular dental appointment. You might notice a rough edge or a slight cosmetic change, but otherwise feel fine.
A larger chip is more concerning. If the break is deep enough to expose the nerve inside the tooth, you’ll typically feel sharp pain, especially when chewing or when air hits the tooth. Sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks is another sign that the damage goes deeper than the surface. Severe or throbbing pain, swelling in the gum around the tooth, or any discoloration of the tooth all warrant a same-day or next-day dental visit. A major chip that exposes the sensitive inner tissue to bacteria can lead to a tooth infection if left open.
Eating and Drinking With a Chipped Tooth
Until you see your dentist, stick to soft foods and chew on the opposite side of your mouth. Good options include scrambled eggs, yogurt, mashed potatoes, soup, smoothies, oatmeal, soft-cooked pasta, avocado, and bananas. If pain is severe, avoiding solid food entirely is a reasonable short-term approach.
Stay away from anything hard, crunchy, or sticky. That means no nuts, popcorn, hard candy, ice, raw carrots, whole apples, chewy caramel, or hard bread like bagels. These can worsen the chip or cause additional fractures. After each meal, rinse your mouth with warm salt water (one teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water) to keep the area clean and reduce the risk of infection.
Temporary Fixes Until Your Appointment
If the chip left a sharp edge that’s cutting your mouth, or if the tooth’s inner pulp is exposed, you can buy a temporary filling kit at most pharmacies. These kits contain materials that harden when applied to the tooth, creating a temporary seal. They’re useful for getting through a weekend or a few days before your appointment.
That said, use them carefully. Incorrect application can trap bacteria inside the tooth and actually increase your risk of infection. These kits are designed for minor, short-term situations only. They are not a substitute for professional repair, and they won’t hold up long-term. If your chip involves severe pain, visible swelling, or signs of infection, skip the home kit and get to a dentist.
How Dentists Repair Chipped Teeth
The repair your dentist recommends depends on the size and location of the chip and whether the nerve is involved.
- Dental bonding is the most common fix for small chips. Your dentist applies a tooth-colored resin to the damaged area and shapes it to match your tooth. It’s quick, often done in a single visit, and costs roughly $100 to $600 per tooth. Bonding works best for minor cosmetic chips that don’t affect the tooth’s structure.
- Veneers are thin porcelain shells that cover the entire front surface of a tooth. They’re a better fit when the chip is more noticeable or when you have multiple cosmetic concerns like staining or uneven teeth. Veneers are more durable than bonding but cost between $900 and $2,500 per tooth.
- Dental crowns cap the entire tooth and are the go-to option when a chip has caused significant structural damage. If a large portion of the tooth is missing or the tooth has been weakened by decay, a crown restores both its appearance and its ability to handle chewing forces. Expect to pay $900 to $3,500 per crown, and the process typically requires two visits.
If the chip was deep enough to damage or expose the nerve, your dentist may need to perform a root canal before placing a crown. Signs that point toward this include persistent throbbing pain, prolonged sensitivity to temperature, or darkening of the tooth. A root canal removes the damaged nerve tissue and seals the interior of the tooth, and a crown is then placed over it for protection.
What Happens if You Don’t Get It Fixed
A tiny, painless enamel chip might not cause immediate problems, but it still creates a rough surface that can collect bacteria and eventually lead to decay. The jagged edge can also irritate your tongue and the soft tissue inside your mouth over time.
Larger untreated chips carry more serious risks. When the inner layers of the tooth are exposed, bacteria can work their way into the pulp and cause an infection. A tooth infection, or abscess, can cause severe swelling, fever, and spreading pain. What might have been a simple bonding procedure can turn into a root canal, a crown, or in the worst cases, an extraction. Getting even a minor chip evaluated early keeps your options simpler and less expensive.