Chipped a Tooth? What to Do Next and How It Gets Fixed

By Lovik Mirzaeian, DDS. Updated September 2026.

A chipped tooth is rarely an emergency, but it should be seen within a few days. Rinse your mouth, save the fragment if you can find it, cover any sharp edge with sugar-free gum or dental wax, and avoid biting on that side. If the chip exposes a pink or red spot in the middle of the tooth, or the tooth is very painful, call the same day.

Most chips are repaired in a single visit with bonding and the tooth looks like nothing happened. Here is how to handle the first hour and what the repair options are.

The First Hour

Rinse with warm water to clean the area. If there is bleeding from the gum, press gently with gauze for ten minutes.

Find the piece if you can. Keep it moist in milk or saliva in a small container. It can sometimes be bonded back on, which gives the most natural match possible.

If an edge is sharp and cutting your tongue or cheek, press a piece of sugar-free gum or orthodontic wax over it as a temporary cover. Pharmacies sell temporary dental cement as well.

Avoid hot, cold and sweet things if the tooth is sensitive, chew on the other side, and take an over the counter painkiller if needed.

Then call and describe what you see. The description tells us how quickly you need to be seen.

How to Tell If It Is Urgent

A small chip off the edge of a front tooth with no pain is not urgent. Book within a week.

A larger break with sensitivity to temperature means dentin is exposed. Book within a couple of days, because exposed dentin is uncomfortable and bacteria can reach the nerve through it.

A visible pink or red spot in the centre of the broken surface means the pulp is exposed. That is a same day call, because the nerve is open to the mouth and needs sealing quickly to have the best chance of surviving.

A tooth that is loose, pushed out of position, or missing entirely is a different situation. Our piece on a knocked out tooth covers that, and the emergency dentist page explains how to reach us.

Why Teeth Chip

Biting something hard unexpectedly, ice, a popcorn kernel, an olive stone. A knock during sport. Grinding at night, which weakens enamel across years until an ordinary bite finishes it. Large old fillings that leave thin walls of tooth around them. Acid erosion that has thinned enamel. And sometimes a crack that had been silently growing for months.

If a back tooth chips with no obvious cause, that last one is worth considering, because it changes what the tooth needs.

How It Gets Fixed

Smoothing

A tiny chip on an edge can simply be polished smooth. Two minutes, no anaesthetic.

Bonding

The most common repair. Tooth-coloured composite resin is shaped onto the tooth, sculpted to match, and hardened with a light. One visit, usually no numbing, and a good match on a front tooth. It lasts several years and can be repaired if it chips again.

Reattaching the Fragment

If you saved the piece and it fits cleanly, it can sometimes be bonded straight back on. The colour and translucency match perfectly because it is the original tooth.

A Veneer

For a larger chip on a front tooth, or one that keeps recurring, a thin porcelain veneer over the front surface gives a stronger and more stain-resistant result than bonding.

A Crown

For a back tooth with a significant break, particularly one with a large filling already or a cusp gone, a crown holds what is left together. Our piece on whether you really need a crown explains the reasoning.

Root Canal First

If the pulp was exposed, the nerve usually needs treating before the tooth is rebuilt. Done promptly this has a high success rate, and the tooth is kept.

Stopping It Happening Again

If grinding is behind it, a night guard protects every tooth, not just the repaired one. If you play contact sports, a custom mouthguard is cheap next to a broken front tooth. Stop chewing ice. And if a chip appeared with no cause, ask for the tooth to be checked for a crack, because catching one early is the difference between a crown and losing the tooth. The American Dental Association covers the same ground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a chipped tooth an emergency?

Usually not, but it should be seen within a few days. It becomes urgent if you can see a pink or red spot in the centre of the break, which means the nerve is exposed, or if the tooth is very painful, loose or out of position. Those are same day calls.

Can a chipped tooth be fixed the same day?

Most can. Bonding, where tooth-coloured resin is sculpted onto the tooth and hardened with a light, is done in one visit and usually without numbing. Larger breaks needing a veneer or crown take two visits.

What should I do with the broken piece of tooth?

Keep it. Store it in milk or saliva in a small container and bring it with you. If it fits cleanly it can sometimes be bonded back on, which gives a perfect colour match because it is the original tooth.

Will a chipped tooth get worse if I leave it?

Often, yes. Exposed dentin lets bacteria reach the nerve, sharp edges cut the tongue, and a crack behind the chip can spread further with every bite. A small chip left for months can turn into a much larger repair.

Chipped a Tooth? We Will Tell You What It Needs

Send a photo if it helps, or just describe it when you call, and we will tell you whether it is a same day visit or a this week visit. Most chips are one appointment and no drama. Contact us and we will get you in.

Lovik Mirzaeian, DDS has achieved extensive training in multidisciplinary dental treatments. His credentials include Dental Implants, Cosmetic Dentistry, Full Mouth Reconstruction, Endodontics, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, and Sleep Sedation. Our office puts your comfort and smile first, and we are dedicated to giving you top-notch dental care. Get ready to show off your perfect smile!

Looking for a trusted family dentist in Clovis? Dr. Mirzaeian welcomes new patients of all ages.