Emergency Care · Last reviewed May 2026
Broken or Chipped Tooth: Same-Day Repair
at Every Branch.
Picasso Dental offers same-day emergency repair for broken, chipped and fractured teeth: bonded chip repairs, composite or porcelain veneers, and crowns when full coverage is needed. If the pulp is exposed, root canal plus crown is the standard plan. Same-day diagnostic, immediate stabilisation, and a definitive restoration plan in writing before any further work, available at all six branches.
How Bad Is the Break?
Not every broken tooth needs the same fix. The right repair depends on how deep the fracture goes, whether the pulp is exposed, and where the tooth sits in your bite. Here is the honest classification.
Minor Chip (Enamel Only)
A small corner of enamel has chipped off, no pain, no sensitivity to cold. Treatment is smoothing the rough edge or a small composite bond, finished in one short appointment.
Moderate Chip (Enamel + Dentine, No Pain)
The chip has reached the softer yellow dentine layer underneath but the pulp is still protected. Composite bonding or a porcelain veneer for a longer-lasting cosmetic result.
Large Fracture (Cusp Lost, No Pulp Exposure)
A whole cusp has fractured off a back tooth, but the pulp is intact. Best repair is an Emax inlay/onlay or a full Emax or Zirconia crown, to take the bite load that bonding cannot.
Fracture Exposing Pulp (Sharp Pain)
Sharp throbbing pain, especially with cold air or liquid, means the fracture has reached the nerve. Root canal treatment is needed to remove the pulp, followed by a crown to seal and protect the tooth.
Vertical Root Fracture
A crack running vertically down the root usually cannot be saved. The standard answer is extraction and replacement, most commonly with a single dental implant. We confirm with X-ray and CBCT before recommending extraction.
Tooth Loosened in Socket but in Place
The tooth has not come out but moves more than it should. Treatment is splinting to the neighbouring teeth with a small bonded wire for 4 weeks, with X-rays and a 48-hour evaluation to check for root fracture and monitor pulp vitality.
Knocked-Out Tooth (Avulsed)
An adult tooth completely out of the socket has the best chance of re-implantation within 1 hour. Hold the tooth by the crown, not the root, rinse briefly in milk or saliva (not water), and come straight in. See our tooth pain emergency guide for full instructions.
First Aid Before Your Appointment
What to do in the first hour after a tooth breaks, while you are travelling to your nearest Picasso branch.
- Rinse with warm water to clear blood and debris. Do not use mouthwash, the alcohol stings exposed dentine.
- Save the broken fragment in milk or saliva (a small container of milk works best). If the fragment is clean and intact, sometimes it can be bonded back to the tooth.
- Avoid biting on that side. Stick to soft food, lukewarm temperature, until you are seen.
- Cover sharp edges with dental wax (sold at any pharmacy) or sugar-free chewing gum so the tooth does not cut your tongue or lip.
- Take ibuprofen for pain (400 mg every 6 hours) if you have no medical contraindication. Avoid aspirin if there is bleeding.
- Do not apply heat. Heat increases inflammation and pain. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek is fine.
- For a knocked-out adult tooth: hold by the crown, rinse briefly in milk or saliva (not water, not soap), try to place it back in the socket if you can, otherwise store in milk and come in within 1 hour.
Repair Pricing
Per-tooth pricing across the full repair ladder is published on our cost guide, from a small bond up to root canal plus crown. Your final written quote depends on how deep the fracture goes and which restoration is appropriate.
Why Picasso for Broken Teeth
Same-Day Slots at Every Branch
All six Picasso branches hold daily emergency capacity for broken-tooth cases: Hanoi Old Quarter, Hanoi West Lake, Da Nang Hoang Dieu, Da Nang Vinmec, HCMC Thao Dien and Da Lat. Call the nearest branch and we will fit you in the same day.
Cosmetic Dentist for Front Teeth
Front-tooth breaks are visible every time you smile. Aesthetic-led cases are handled by Dr. Rosie Nguyen, our dedicated cosmetic dentist, because shape, shade and surface texture matter as much as the repair itself.
English-Speaking Team
The clinical team speaks English and Vietnamese at every branch. You will not need a translator to explain what happened or to understand the treatment plan and quote.
Fragment Re-Bonding When Feasible
If you saved the broken fragment in milk or saliva and the underlying tooth is intact, we will attempt to bond it back into place with composite resin. The result uses your real tooth structure and is more natural than a sculpted rebuild.
Full Restoration Ladder Under One Roof
Bonding, composite veneer, porcelain veneer, inlay/onlay, crown, root canal, extraction, implant. Whatever your specific break needs, the relevant specialist is in the same building, so you do not get bounced between clinics.
Honest Diagnosis First
If a small chip can be smoothed and polished instead of bonded, we will say so. If a fracture really needs a crown rather than a bond, we will say so. Emergency patients are easy to oversell to. We are not interested in that outcome.
How Emergency Repair Works
Five steps from arrival to final restoration. For most cases the immediate stabilisation finishes in a single visit; the definitive restoration may take a follow-up appointment if porcelain or a crown is involved.
1. Emergency Exam + X-Ray
You are seen the same day. Clinical exam, intra-oral photographs, periapical X-ray (and CBCT if a root fracture is suspected) to map exactly how deep the break goes and whether the pulp is involved.
2. Diagnosis
Your dentist classifies the break: surface chip, dentine fracture, cusp loss, pulp exposure, root fracture or avulsion. The classification decides the restoration plan, not the other way around.
3. Immediate Stabilisation
Same-day stabilisation: composite bond on a sharp edge, sedative dressing on an exposed dentine surface, splint on a loose tooth, or temporary crown over a fractured back tooth, so you leave today comfortable and presentable.
4. Definitive Plan + Written Estimate
Once the immediate situation is controlled, we present the definitive restoration options (bonding, veneer, onlay, crown, root canal plus crown) with prices in writing. You decide before any irreversible work begins.
5. Final Restoration
Bonding cases finish the same day. Porcelain veneers, inlays, onlays and crowns require lab time and complete in 2 follow-up visits over 2 weeks. Root canal plus crown adds a session for the canal treatment itself.
Follow-Up
We review traumatised teeth at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months. Some teeth that look superficially fine after impact lose pulp vitality weeks later and need root canal treatment. Early detection prevents abscesses.
Front Tooth vs Back Tooth
The same depth of fracture is treated differently depending on where the tooth sits in your mouth, because the priorities are different.
Front Tooth Break
Aesthetics-led. A front-tooth break is visible every time you smile, so the repair almost always merits a cosmetic-grade restoration: shade-matched composite bonding, cosmetic Class IV bond or a porcelain veneer.
Front teeth take less direct biting load than molars, so bonding often holds well long-term as long as the patient does not bite hard objects on the repaired edge.
For a single chipped corner, bonding is usually enough. For a fracture across most of the front of the tooth, a porcelain veneer gives a more durable and stain-resistant result.
Back Tooth Break
Function-led. Back teeth grind and crush food under heavy bite force. Bonding alone often fails on a fractured molar cusp because composite is softer than enamel and chips again under load.
The standard answer for a fractured back-tooth cusp is an Emax inlay/onlay for moderate damage, or a full crown for larger fractures. Both protect the remaining tooth from further splitting.
If the fracture has reached the pulp or the tooth has had previous large fillings, root canal treatment plus a crown is often needed to save the tooth long-term.
Aftercare
What to do in the days and weeks after your repair so the restoration holds.
Avoid Biting Hard Objects 24 Hours
Ice, pens, fingernails, hard nuts and popcorn kernels chip composite faster than they chip enamel. Use back teeth for hard foods, and never use front teeth as tools, especially on the repaired side.
Soft Food the First Day
Lukewarm soup, yoghurt, mashed vegetables, pasta. Avoid very hot or very cold food and drink for 24 hours, especially if a sedative dressing or temporary crown was placed.
Return at 1 Week If Pain Persists
Mild sensitivity to cold for a few days is normal after a deep break. Persistent throbbing pain, pain with biting or pain that wakes you at night means the pulp may be inflamed and root canal treatment may be needed. Come back, do not wait.
Nightguard If Grinding Contributed
If your dentist identifies grinding as a factor in the original fracture, a custom nightguard is recommended to protect the repair and the rest of your bite. Without one, the next tooth often breaks the same way.
Risks & Honest Tradeoffs
What can still go wrong after the repair, and what we tell patients to expect.
Bonded Fragments Can Chip Again
Composite bonds on biting edges are softer than natural enamel and may chip again under heavy load, especially in patients who bite ice, fingernails or pens. Repair is usually quick and inexpensive in the chair.
Large Composites Eventually Need Porcelain
A large emergency composite restoration (covering most of a tooth) is reliable for a few years, but porcelain (veneer, inlay/onlay or crown) is more durable long-term. We will often place composite as the immediate fix and recommend an upgrade to porcelain over the following months.
Delayed Pulp Death
Some teeth that appear fine after impact lose pulp vitality weeks or months later (delayed pulpal necrosis). This is why we review traumatised teeth at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months. Early detection prevents abscess and tooth loss.
Root Fractures Are Often Not Saveable
A vertical root fracture, especially in a back tooth, usually cannot be reliably repaired. The honest answer is extraction and replacement with an implant. We confirm with CBCT before recommending extraction.
Splinted Teeth May Still Be Lost
Loosened or re-implanted teeth are splinted and monitored, but a proportion still lose vitality, develop root resorption or become non-functional over the following months. We will tell you the realistic prognosis at the splinting visit, not pretend it is certain.
What We Will Tell You No To
If a chip is small enough that a smoothing is sufficient, we will not place a bond. If a fracture really needs a crown rather than a bond, we will say so. Emergency patients are easy to oversell to. We do not.
Your Broken Tooth Team
Emergency broken-tooth cases at Picasso are handled by our general dentists and cosmetic dentist, with clinical oversight from Founding Clinical Director Dr. Emily Nguyen.
Dr. Thao Tran
General Dentist. Handles same-day emergency assessments, immediate stabilisation, composite repairs and routine restorative work for broken teeth.
Dr. Nhung Duong
General Dentist. Same-day emergency exams, X-ray diagnosis, composite bonding and crown preparation for fractured back teeth.
Dr. Rosie Nguyen
Cosmetic Dentist. Leads front-tooth aesthetic cases: shade-matched bonding, cosmetic Class IV repairs, composite and porcelain veneers after fracture.
Dr. Emily Nguyen
Founding Clinical Director. Founded the original clinic in Hanoi in 2013 and led the 2023 rebrand to Picasso Dental. Sets clinical standards for trauma protocols and prosthetic delivery group-wide.
Common Questions
Can a chipped tooth heal itself?
No. Tooth enamel does not regenerate, so a chip will not grow back on its own. Small chips that do not hurt can wait a few days, but they should still be assessed because what looks like a surface chip can hide a deeper crack into dentine or pulp. Larger chips, sharp edges or any pain need same-day care.
What should I do right now if I just broke a tooth?
Rinse your mouth gently with warm water. If you can find the broken fragment, save it in milk or saliva (sometimes it can be re-bonded). Avoid biting on that side. If a sharp edge is cutting your tongue or lip, cover it with dental wax or sugar-free gum. Take ibuprofen if you have no contraindication. Do not apply heat. Call your nearest Picasso branch for a same-day slot.
Can you re-bond the fragment I saved?
Sometimes, yes. If the fragment is intact, clean and reasonably hydrated (stored in milk or saliva), and the underlying tooth has no pulp exposure, we can bond it back into place with composite resin. The result is more natural-looking than a composite rebuild because it uses your real tooth structure. Not every fragment is salvageable, but bring it in and we will assess.
Will my front tooth look the same after repair?
For small chips, a shade-matched composite bond is essentially invisible to anyone but a dentist. For larger fractures or front-tooth corner rebuilds, a cosmetic Class IV composite or porcelain veneer is shaped and shaded to match the neighbouring teeth. Front-tooth cases at Picasso are led by Dr. Rosie Nguyen, our cosmetic dentist, because shape, shade and surface texture matter as much as the repair itself.
How soon do I need to come in?
Same-day if the tooth is painful, sharp, loose, knocked out or visibly fractured into the pulp. Within 48 hours for small painless chips. A knocked-out adult tooth has the best chance of survival if re-implanted within 1 hour, see our tooth pain emergency guide. Same-day slots are available at every Picasso branch.
What if my tooth is loose after the impact?
A tooth that is loosened but still in the socket is usually splinted to its neighbours with a small bonded wire for 4 weeks while the ligament heals. We will X-ray to check for root fracture and monitor the pulp over the following weeks, since some traumatised teeth lose vitality later and need a root canal. Do not push or wiggle the tooth, leave it alone and come in.
Can I just leave the broken tooth alone?
Not advisable. A break exposes inner dentine, which is softer than enamel and decays faster. Sharp edges cut the tongue and lip. Hidden cracks let bacteria reach the pulp and cause infection over weeks or months, often with delayed pain that is harder to treat than the original chip. Even painless chips should be assessed and sealed.
Do you do same-day veneers for emergencies?
Same-day porcelain veneers are not standard, the porcelain takes lab time. For an emergency front-tooth break, we typically place a same-day cosmetic composite (Class IV bond) so you walk out looking presentable, then plan a porcelain veneer over the following 2 to 3 weeks if you want a longer-lasting cosmetic result. The composite is removed before the veneer is bonded.
Will the bonding match my tooth shade?
Yes. We layer different composite shades and translucencies before mixing, matching against your natural neighbouring teeth in daylight. For a single front-tooth chip on otherwise healthy enamel, well-executed bonding is virtually invisible. If your overall smile shade is darker than ideal, we can sequence whitening before the final cosmetic restoration so the new bond matches a brighter baseline.
Do I need a crown for a broken tooth?
Only if the fracture is large enough that bonding or a veneer cannot reliably hold. A back-tooth cusp fracture, a tooth with a large old filling that has now broken, or a tooth that has had root canal treatment, all usually need a crown (PFM, Zirconia, or Emax depending on the case). For front-tooth chips with intact enamel, bonding or a veneer is preferred over a crown because it preserves more natural tooth.
Same-Day Care
Broke a Tooth?
We'll See You Today.
Call your nearest Picasso branch for a same-day emergency slot. Bring the fragment if you have it, stored in milk or saliva. We will examine, X-ray, stabilise and quote you in writing before any further work.