Lost Dental Crown

What to do immediately after a crown falls off:

• The inner part of your tooth is now exposed and can be extremely sensitive

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• Food and bacteria can enter the inner parts of your tooth and potentially lead to tooth infection or decay

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• Without the crown on your tooth it is weak and vulnerable to chipping or cracking

Many people accidentally swallow a crown when it falls off. The treatment for when your crown fell off will vary depending on whether or not you still have the crown and the condition of the crown.

If you didn’t swallow the crown and have the lost crown (Yay!) you can bring it into the office with you and the doctor can usually quickly cement it onto your tooth again.

Your Crown Fell Off After Business Hours or When You Are Out of Town

If you do have the crown:

• Go to the drugstore and buy a tube of over the counter temporary dental cement such as Recapit® or Dentemp®, denture adhesive, or use a small daub of toothpaste.

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• BEFORE YOU USE THE TEMPORARY CEMENT! VERY IMPORTANT! Look carefully at the crown and try to determine the correct way it is supposed to fit on your tooth. Before you put any cement on the crown test fit the crown on the tooth and gently bite down (don’t bite hard or you might damage the crown). Does it feel right when you bite down? When the crown is on your tooth correctly again it should feel right when you bite down.

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• Once you know how the crown correctly sits on your tooth, follow the directions on the temporary dental cement to cement the crown in place again. If it is an upper tooth or at the back of your mouth it may be helpful to have someone else help you.

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• Call the office for an appointment to have the crown permanently re-cemented as soon as possible.

If you do not have the crown:

• A tooth that has lost its crown is very fragile and at risk for breaking. Also, with the crown off, the deep parts of your tooth are exposed and you run the risk of introducing bacteria and debris into your tooth which could cause infection and decay. Call our office right away to get a new crown and prevent these complications.

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• The tooth may be extremely sensitive. You may use clove oil (found at most drug stores) or ambesol to give temporary pain relief.