I broke a tooth.
ROT-to — double 't', short stop. 'Dente' — DEN-te, two clear syllables.
Call the dentist immediately after breaking a tooth — especially if there is pain, the nerve is exposed, or you have a piece of the tooth.
'Mi sono rotto' is reflexive passato prossimo — literally 'I broke myself a tooth'. This reflexive construction ('mi sono + past participle') is used for injuries that happen to your own body: 'mi sono fatto male' (I hurt myself), 'mi sono tagliato' (I cut myself). Keep any broken tooth fragment in milk or saline.
Mi si è scheggiato il dente.
My tooth chipped.
'Scheggiarsi' = to chip — for minor chips without complete break
Ho il dente spezzato a metà.
My tooth is broken in half.
Complete fracture — often needs extraction or crown
Ho trovato il pezzo di dente. Lo porto?
I found the piece of tooth. Should I bring it?
Bring it — sometimes it can be bonded back, especially for front teeth
In Italy, dental emergencies involving front teeth ('denti anteriori') are treated as priority — appearance matters culturally. For sports injuries, Italy has seen growing use of 'paradenti' (mouthguards) in contact sports, though adoption is still lower than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Italian boxing, rugby, and martial arts federations mandate mouthguards; other sports recommend them.