Sombr Chipped His Tooth on Stage, and Taylor Swift Knows Exactly How That Feels

During his 3 November concert in Milwaukee, Sombr bumped his water bottle against his tooth while going for a drink. Billboard reported that he checked the damage on a fan's phone mid-set ("Oh, s–t! I chipped my tooth again!", in his words), and that the affected tooth was his top left front tooth, which looked shorter and more uneven than the one next to it.

Note the word "again". This isn't his first time. Billboard also reported he lost a chunk of enamel while singing on stage in March 2025, and posted about it on TikTok.

That's what's on the record. I don't know how big the chip was, whether it went near the nerve, or what, if anything, he's had done to fix it since. I'm not going to guess. Every chip is different, and that's sort of the whole point of this post.

In 2013, on her Red tour, Taylor Swift told Rolling Stone she'd chipped a tooth during a show in Pittsburgh. As Capital reported at the time, she explained that she likes to be quick with the microphone, "so I really quickly pulled my mic up to sing and basically uppercut punched myself in the tooth."

"It had a tip on [the tooth] and it doesn't anymore," she said. And at the time, her plan was: "I'm not doing anything about it. It's just gonna be a little bit jagged, I guess."

Again, that's all I know. It's not a new incident, and what happened with that tooth afterwards isn't something I'm going to speculate about. But she's not the only one who decided a tiny chip could wait.

Here's the bit I want everyone to hear. When people chip a front tooth, they often panic and assume they'll need a veneer, or a whole set of them. Usually, that's not the case.

The right repair depends on a few things:

• How big the chip is. A tiny nick off the edge is very different from half a tooth.
• How deep it goes. Enamel is the hard outer layer. Under that is dentine, which is more sensitive. Under that is the pulp, with the nerve and blood supply.
• Whether it hurts. Sensitivity or pain can be a clue that the break has gone deeper.
• What the rest of the tooth is like. A tooth that already had a big filling, cracks or decay may need a different approach.

These are the general options a dentist might consider. Which one is right depends entirely on what they find.

Smoothing

For a very small chip on the edge of a tooth, the dentist might just polish and smooth the rough edge so it doesn't catch your tongue or lip. Quick and simple.

Composite bonding

This is a really common fix for front teeth. Tooth-coloured resin is built up on the tooth, shaped to match, and hardened with a light. It usually needs little or no drilling. Bonding can chip and stain over time, so it may need touching up, which I've covered in how long composite bonding lasts.

Reattaching the broken piece

This is the one most people don't know about. If you've kept the fragment, and it's in good condition, a dentist may be able to bond it back onto the tooth. Your own tooth is the best colour match there is.

Crowns

If a large part of the tooth has broken, a crown may be needed to cover and protect what's left.

Root canal treatment

If the break goes deep enough to expose the nerve, root canal treatment may be needed to save the tooth. (If you're nervous about that, I've answered is root canal painful?)

Veneers

Veneers can be an option in some cases, especially if a tooth is also discoloured or misshapen, but they're one option among several, not the default answer to a chip. And because many involve removing some enamel, they're a bigger commitment.

This is where the carousel line comes from. NHS guidance on a chipped, broken or cracked tooth says that if a large piece has broken off, you should keep it in milk or saliva and take it to the dentist. (For your own tooth, spit into a container. Glamorous, I know.)

Listed among the first options at an urgent appointment is gluing the fragment back on, alongside a temporary filling.

So if you chip a tooth:

1. Find the piece if you can. Check the floor, your drink, your food. On a stage in the middle of a gig, that's easier said than done.
2. Keep it moist. Milk or saliva. Not water, and definitely not wrapped dry in a tissue.
3. Book a dental appointment. If you need urgent care, the NHS says to contact your local NHS dental helpline. A GP can't treat teeth.

The same NHS guidance suggests:

• paracetamol or ibuprofen if it hurts, following the packet
• soft foods, and not biting on the tender tooth
• avoiding very hot or very cold food and drink

If the chip has left a sharp edge that's rubbing your tongue, try not to keep poking it. I know. Everyone does it.

Most small chips aren't an emergency, but some breaks need seeing quickly. Get urgent advice if:

• the tooth is very painful or sensitive
• you can see pink or red in the middle of the broken tooth
• a large part of the tooth has broken off
• the tooth feels loose, or has been pushed out of position
• there's swelling, or you've had a knock to the face

I've explained how to tell what's urgent in what counts as a dental emergency. And if a tooth has been knocked out completely, the rules are different again, and time matters even more.

Not every damaged tooth has an obvious chip. Sometimes a knock leaves a crack you can't see, but you can feel, especially when biting or with cold drinks. That's worth getting checked too. I've written about cracked teeth, and the harmless little craze lines that often get mistaken for them.

You don't need to be on a world tour to chip a tooth. Common culprits include:

• bottles, glasses and cans knocking your teeth (hello, Sombr)
• microphones, if you're Taylor Swift
• biting hard things like ice, boiled sweets, pens or bottle tops
• using your teeth as tools to open packets
• grinding at night, which weakens edges over time (Margot Robbie wore a night guard for exactly that)
• contact sports without a mouthguard

Sip carefully, open bottles with an opener, and leave the ice in the glass.

How did Sombr chip his tooth? He said he bumped his water bottle against his tooth while taking a sip during his 3 November concert in Milwaukee.

How did Taylor Swift chip her tooth? In 2013, she said she pulled her microphone up quickly to sing and "basically uppercut punched myself in the tooth".

Does a chipped tooth need a veneer? Not necessarily. Depending on the damage, it might be smoothed, repaired with bonding, have the fragment reattached, or need a crown or root canal treatment.

What should I do with a broken piece of tooth? NHS guidance says to keep a large broken piece in milk or saliva and take it to your dentist.

Sombr's water bottle and Taylor's microphone prove that you don't need to do anything dramatic to chip a tooth. It just takes a split second.

What happens next is less about luck and more about what you do. Keep the piece, keep calm, and get it looked at. A chip rarely means a whole new smile. Often, it just means a small, careful repair. Thombr would approve.

This article is general information based on public reporting. It is not personal dental advice. Sombr and Taylor Swift have no connection with this article.