3 Things To Know When A Dental Crown Falls Off

Dental crowns are usually strong enough to stay in place for years. However, accidents, eating hard or sticky foods, and the age of the false tooth sometimes make a crown fall off.

While this can be an alarming experience, your dentist can fix the problem. Read on to learn more about this process and what you should do when you lose a crown.

1. Contact Your Dentist Immediately

You shouldn't wait to get help if you lose a crown. Even though the tooth under the crown might not hurt, you shouldn't leave this problem until your next scheduled check-up.

Your crown has been protecting its underlying tooth. Once the crown falls off, the tooth loses this protection. Plus, the tooth won't have enough enamel coverage to protect it as your dentist will have taken off some of its enamel to fit the crown. It is more likely to develop problems with decay and infections if you leave it exposed.

So, contact your dentist as soon as you can and tell them you've lost a crown. They will tell you what to do next.

2. Keep the Crown Safe

If you still have the crown that has fallen off your tooth, then you should keep it safe so that you can take it to your dentist. This is worth doing even if the crown seems to have some damage. So, put the crown in water in a container or bag.

In some cases, your dentist will be able to reapply the crown if it is intact enough to use again. For example, this is a feasible fix if an old crown simply fell out because its cement wore down and couldn't hold it in place.

Your dentist will find it useful to see the crown even if it is too badly damaged to use again. This helps them assess why the crown fell off.

3. Accept That You Might Need a New Crown

If you still have your crown, and it looks in good shape, then you might assume that your dentist can simply reattach it. However, be prepared for the fact that you might need to have a new crown made.

Sometimes, dental crowns are damaged in ways you can't easily see. The tooth might look intact, but it might have fracture lines that make it too weak to use again. If you put the crown back on, it won't last long.

Plus, your natural tooth affects the fit of a crown. If your tooth has some damage, then it might have changed shape. The crown might not fit well enough to use again, and you might need a new one.

For more advice, contact a local dental office, like Magnolia Dental.


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