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Looking for a caring and professional dental practice? We’re excited to welcome new patients to our clinic! Whether you’re due for a check-up, need treatment, or are looking to enhance your smile, our friendly team is here to help.
Contact us today to book your first appointment—we look forward to meeting you!

Broken teeth

Our teeth are very strong but despite this, the stresses and strains of our everyday life can still cause them to chip, crack or break.

Common cause of these breaks can include:

  • Chewing on hard foods
  • Facial trauma following an accident
  • Damage from a sports injury
  • Untreated cavities causing the tooth to become brittle and break
  • Old, large amalgam fillings, where the remaining structure of the natural tooth can become brittle

Broken teeth can cause varying degrees of pain, from extremely painful, to discomfort triggered by hot or cold foods or drink, even to no signs of immediate pain. However, in order to prevent further damage or infection which could result in the loss of the tooth, it’s important to book an appointment with your Sturminster Dental Care dentist as soon as possible.

Treatment of a broken or chipped tooth will depend on how severely it is damaged. For small breaks or chips it may be possible to repair in a single visit with a simple filling or bonding. For more severe breaks, multiple visits may be required to repair the break with multiple treatments.

Treatment for fractures and broken teeth

Teeth with minor chips on the edges usually don’t cause any pain or problems, but your Sturminster Dental Care dentist will most likely repair a chip by smoothing the edge and inserting a tooth-coloured filling to prevent it from cutting your lips or tongue.

Heavily fractured and seriously broken teeth may need more complex treatment. For instance, a large cavity that causes a major fracture or break, causing pain and infection, may need root canal treatment. Cracks and breaks may expose your nerve endings, making the teeth sensitive to hot and cold air and foods.

Root canal treatment isn’t always necessary if your teeth are chipped or broken, though. Where there’s no pain or infection, cracks are filled and bound together with a specialised tooth cement, while a broken tooth will be fixed with a crown. Crowns are also used as part of the treatment for other types of splits and breaks, such as broken cusps, split roots/vertical breaks, split molars, and as a buttress against further cracks. If your tooth has decayed from the inside-out and is now broken, your Sturminster Dental Care dentist may recommend that your tooth is removed.

Sometimes, if you have a cracked or broken tooth, it may not be noticeable because it doesn’t hurt. But no matter how minor these problems are, they should still be investigated by your dentist, as infections can arise if the problem isn’t treated with antibiotics. The best course of action is, as always, a good oral hygiene regime and regular reviews with the dentist.

What to do if you break your tooth

If you’ve fractured or broken a tooth, follow these steps immediately before booking an appointment with Sturminster Dental Care.

  • Rinse your mouth out with warm water
  • Apply pressure on any bleeding areas using gauze or a wet teabag
  • Apply an icepack to your cheek if there’s any swelling
  • If you have access to it, cover any major cracks with temporary dental cement
  • If it’s painful, use an over the counter pain reliever such as paracetamol
  • Cover any broken teeth with milk, saliva or saline solution

As with any teeth problems, if you have fractured or chipped a tooth it's important to book an appointment at Sturminster Dental Care to see a dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for routine dental health review. We will discuss the best method of repairing the break with you.

At Sturminster Dental Care in Sturminster Newton we use resin composite fillings to match the colour of your teeth and ensure a long-lasting and natural-looking result. We also offer porcelain crowns, inlays and onlays as successful options for repairing cracked, broken, decayed or heavily filled teeth. They are hardwearing and can be colour-matched perfectly to your own teeth.

If you would like to discuss concerns with any broken or chipped teeth give us a call on 01258 473397.

Dentist

Ian Mercer

Ian joined {{ practice_name() }} in January 2016. lan-qualified from Guys Hospital Dental School in 1991 and has spent much of his professional career in the Royal Army Dental Corps including operational commitments in many countries. lan left the army in 2012 after serving for 21 years. Ian is really enjoying being part of the team and providing the best care to all of our patients.

Ian Mercer
Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Sturminster Dental Care. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

747 Reviews

5.0

26th October 2025

It is very reassuring to have such a brilliant dentist and team. I have been having a particularly distressing problem with my teeth following sepsis and I county myself as very lucky to be able to trust that I am getting the best care possible.

24th October 2025

I was seen promptly and given good care

24th October 2025

I am unable to find one thing wrong with the practice. I have been a patient for several years and am completely happy with my dentist and hygeniest and all of the reception staff who are delightful, knowledgeable and helpful.

23rd October 2025

Friendly and cared about my needs and treatment, uses humour to relax me!

22nd October 2025

After moving to the area, I needed to find a new dental practice. I had been with my last practice since childhood, so a big move! Sturminster have provided a very good level of care, with questions re the rational for a treatment schedule explained well, leaving me able to make good, informed choices re how I wish to proceed and advice given to make theses choices confidently. As a retired person, dental care is a big expense, but I have no doubt that working with Sturminster I will continue to be able to make choices based on their excellent care.

20th October 2025

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20th October 2025

Everyone is exceptionally friendly and efficient! Had never experienced such amazing dental care prior to joining this practice. Consider ourselves extremely lucky to have found you!

19th October 2025

Ian is a brilliant dentist with a fantastic manner. He puts you at ease and explains what he is doing, which is very calming for a nervous patient.

19th October 2025

Friendly and thorough

18th October 2025

The staff are always courteous and helpful.They are highly trained professionals.We are very lucky in Sturminster Newton to have such a good dental practice.

17th October 2025

Easy, efficient, reliable.

17th October 2025

Very thorough hygienist, no plaque left unturned! New dentist who made me feel comfortable and took time to explain everything necessary to me. Reception staff are always polite and helpful. The surroundings. Dry clean and tidy, comfortable to sit in. I’m a long standing client and have always had good service here.

16th October 2025

Helpfulness all the way!

15th October 2025

This is a well organized, efficient and friendly dental surgery.

13th October 2025

Friendly and efficient staff from reception to clinicians.

13th October 2025

I don’t like going to the dentist but realise how lucky I am with Wendy my Hygenist and Ian my fetist how they look after me. And the girls in reception are always so professional

10th October 2025

Really lovely staff, and great clinical treatment

10th October 2025

Veryy effective and friendly treatment by Ian

9th October 2025

Polite & courteous staff & so friendly. The dentist & hygienist are always easy to talk to & very caring, makes going to the dentist much more enjoyable. Thank you all

9th October 2025

Professional, courageous and just what was needed.

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