Chipped & Broken Teeth in Perth & Subiaco
Fixing a Chipped Tooth: What to Do Right Away
Rinse your mouth, keep any pieces, and call Dental 359 in Subiaco. Most chipped or broken teeth aren’t a disaster, but even a small one is worth getting checked. A rough edge can cut your tongue, and a deeper break can expose the inside of the tooth to decay or infection if it’s left.
1. Rinse and Keep the Pieces
Rinse your mouth gently with warm water to clear any fragments. If you can find the broken piece, pick it up and keep it in milk until your appointment. Don’t scrub it or try to glue it back yourself.
2. Manage Pain or Swelling
If your cheek is swollen, hold a cold pack wrapped in a cloth against the outside of your face. Over-the-counter pain relief may help if it’s suitable for you. Follow the directions on the packet and avoid chewing on the damaged tooth. If a sharp edge is catching your tongue, a little sugar-free gum or dental wax can cover it temporarily.
3. Call Dental 359
Ring Dental 359 on 1300 625 625. Tell us what’s happened, whether it hurts and how much is missing. We’ll let you know how urgently to be seen and arrange an emergency dentist appointment as soon as possible.
How Chipped and Broken Teeth Can Be Treated
Fixing a chipped tooth depends on how much tooth structure has been lost and whether the deeper part of the tooth has been affected. Your dentist will examine the tooth and may take an X-ray if the extent of the damage isn’t clear.
Small chips and rough edges can often be built back up in a single visit with tooth-coloured resin. This is called “composite bonding”.
For larger breaks, a porcelain veneer or a crown may be the better option. These cover more of the tooth and restore its strength. We make same-day dental crowns in-clinic using CEREC 3D, so in many cases there’s no second appointment or temporary crown.
If a break reaches the nerve, the tooth may also need root canal treatment before it’s restored.
If a tooth is too severely damaged to repair, extracting and replacing it with a dental implant may be the only realistic option.
Which of these suits you is a decision for your dentist. They will look at the tooth and explain what’s involved to fix a chipped or broken tooth, so you can make an informed choice.
Chipped Tooth FAQs
Need to fix a chipped tooth? These common questions cover what needs urgent care and what to expect when fixing a broken tooth in Perth.
Not every chipped tooth is an emergency that requires same-day attention, but it should still be checked by a dentist. If the tooth is painful, sensitive to hot and cold, loose, deeply cracked, sharp on the edges or has a large piece missing, book as soon as possible or call for an emergency dentist appointment. Left too long, a small chip can turn into a bigger problem, and a dentist can check whether there is damage you can’t see.
Dental 359 can usually fix a chipped tooth in Perth in a single visit. Small chips are built back up with composite bonding in one appointment. And because we make same-day CEREC dental crowns in-clinic, many larger repairs are also same-day. A tooth that needs root canal treatment first, or a more involved case, may take more than one visit. Your dentist will tell you what to expect once they’ve assessed the tooth.
The cost of fixing a chipped tooth in Perth depends on how badly the tooth is damaged and what is needed to repair it. Composite bonding, a crown, and treatment for more serious damage have different costs.
We can’t give an accurate figure until we’ve seen the tooth. However, repairing a chip early is usually simpler and less costly than leaving it until decay or a deeper break sets in. We’ll examine the tooth first and explain the suitable options and fees. You can also ask us about Payment Plans to help spread the cost of larger treatment.
It is sometimes possible to fix a chipped tooth in Perth with the broken piece. Depending on the size and position of the break, your dentist may be able to bond the fragment back onto the tooth. If that isn’t suitable, composite bonding or another restoration may be recommended. Keep it in milk and bring it to your appointment so we can see what we’re working with.
A chip is a piece broken off the surface or edge of the tooth, while a crack is a line of damage running into the tooth that may not be missing any structure. Chips are usually cosmetic and more visible, making fixing a chipped tooth easier. Cracks can be harder to spot and sometimes reach the nerve, causing pain when you bite or sensitivity to hot and cold.