Emergency Broken Tooth Repair in Finchley

Before you reach our Finchley practice, there are steps you can take to manage the situation. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water to clean the area. If there is any bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a piece of sterile gauze for about 10 minutes. For pain and swelling, place a cold compress on the outside of your cheek. If you find the broken piece of the tooth, keep it in a small container with milk or your own saliva and bring it with you. Avoid chewing on the affected side and take over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol if needed, but do not apply them directly to the gum, as this can cause burns.

You should book a same-day emergency appointment if you have sharp or severe pain, uncontrolled bleeding, or a tooth with a sharp edge that cuts the tongue or cheek. It is also urgent if a large piece has broken off and the inner pulp tissue is exposed, which can be extremely sensitive and at high risk of infection. For front teeth, even a small chip can be an aesthetic emergency, and we understand the need for a quick repair. If the chip is small and there is no pain, you should still schedule an appointment promptly to prevent further damage, even if it is not a middle-of-the-night emergency.

Your appointment lasts about 30 to 60 minutes. We begin with an examination to judge how far the damage has reached. We often take a digital X-ray to check the tooth root and surrounding bone for fractures. Then we discuss the best repair option for your situation. For example, a patient from North Finchley chipped a front tooth during a football game. We repaired it with cosmetic bonding in a single 45-minute visit, matching the colour so the repair was invisible.

For minor chips, we use dental bonding with a tooth-coloured resin that is shaped to restore the tooth’s original form. For larger breaks or damaged back teeth, a filling or a dental crown may be necessary. A crown provides full coverage and strength and typically requires two visits. During the first 60-minute visit we prepare the tooth and take a digital scan for the lab. A week or two later you return for the final 30-minute fitting. A patient from Golders Green recently broke a molar and needed a crown; the temporary crown protected the tooth completely between visits. All procedures are performed under local anaesthetic, so there is no pain during treatment.

When repairing a broken tooth, you have several options. Dental bonding is a quick and cost‑effective choice for small, visible chips on front teeth and is usually completed in one visit. It is not as durable as a crown and can stain over time. A dental crown is the best solution for severely broken teeth or molars that bear a lot of chewing force. While it requires two visits and costs more, a crown offers greater strength and longevity, often 10 to 15 years or longer. If the tooth is broken below the gum line or the nerve is damaged, a root canal or extraction might be the only viable option. We discuss these alternatives openly with you.

After the repair you may notice mild sensitivity to hot and cold for a few days. If a crown is fitted, your bite could feel a little different at first but should normalise within a week. For the first 24 hours avoid very hard, sticky, or crunchy foods to let the bonding material set. Keep up good oral hygiene, but be gentle around the repaired tooth for the first couple of days. Red flags to watch for during office hours (Mon, Wed, Fri 9 to 5; Tue, Thu 11 to 7) include severe pain not relieved by medicine, the repaired piece feeling loose or sharp or falling out, increasing swelling or a bad taste in the mouth. For emergencies outside these hours, call 111 or visit your nearest A&E.

The cost depends on the method chosen. A simple cosmetic bonding procedure can be a few hundred pounds, while a custom-made ceramic crown for a molar costs more. During the emergency assessment we provide a clear, itemised treatment plan with all costs shown upfront, so there are no surprises. This is a private practice and NHS treatment is not offered here. We do accept private dental insurance from providers such as Max Bupa, Denplan, and Cigna. Please bring your insurance details to your appointment.

To help you make an informed choice, whether you come to us or another practice in North London, consider asking about your repair options and the pros and cons of each, the expected lifespan of the repair with proper care, the risk of needing further treatment like a root canal in the future, the total cost including consultation and X-rays, and the material used for the repair and why it is suitable for your tooth.