A dental crown acts as a knight in shining armor for your tooth after it gets badly damaged due to decay or trauma. While they cover your entire tooth like a cap, dental crowns are just as prone to damage as your natural teeth, if not more. So if your dental crown fell out and you don’t know what to do, keep reading this blog to find out.
Why Your Dental Crown Fell Out?
First, let us discuss the possible reasons your dental crown might have fallen off. Many factors might result in the dental cap falling off of your tooth, like:
- Tooth under the crown is decaying or severely weakened
- Improper fitting of crown
- Insufficient cement holding the crown
- Sticky food
- Teeth grinding
What to Do If Your Permanent Crown Fell Out
Diving into a delicious snack only to feel something lumpy on your tongue is not something you look forward to. Especially if that strange thing was actually your dental crown, which fell out. Visiting an emergency dentist with your crown is top of the list. They’ll probably clean the crown and place it back over your tooth. Furthermore, they’ll get a new crown if needed. Nevertheless, you can ask for their instruction if they’re not immediately available.
To explain it in simple terms, do the following if your dental cap falls off:
1. Inform Your Dentist Immediately
The first thing is to contact your dentist straight away and inform them of the situation at hand. The tooth is now exposed and unprotected, which can be harmful. Thus, you need immediate medical attention.
2. Clean the Crown
Fortunately, your dentist can fit the crown over the tooth again if it is in good shape. So if your crown fell out, gently rinse it with warm water. Then, place it in a plastic bag to keep it safe and take it to the dentist with you. They might be able to fit it again during the appointment.
3. Take Care of Your Weakened Tooth
Your tooth was covered with a dental crown for its protection. Without the crown, it is probably sore, sensitive, vulnerable, and exposed. Hence, care for it on your own if you can’t get emergency dental services at the moment. To do so, you’ll need a temporary crown cement or dental wax to guard the weakened tooth in the absence of the cap. Once you visit your dentist, they’ll remove it and treat it as needed.
4. Get What’s Needed for Your Tooth
Your dentist might reattach the crown, given that it is in good condition. Nevertheless, it is possible that your or crown is damaged. If your crown cannot be reattached, the dentist will list out the possible options for you and go with whatever seems suitable for your tooth.
What to Do if Your Temporary Crown Fell Out?
Sometimes dental crown placement takes two visits to the dentist’s office. Hence, the dentists place a temporary crown on the tooth while the permanent one is being prepared. A temporary crown is held in place with the help of temporary cement, and the dentist might provide special instructions while you have it. Still, it might come out.
If your temporary crown fell out, inform your dentist. While you wait for their instructions, follow the same steps as you would for a permanent one.
The Takeaway
A dental crown lasts for a long time, but if yours fell out, now you know what to do. First, contact your dentist; then, follow the steps we have mentioned if you can’t see them immediately. Our dentists at Angleton Family Dental know what your smile needs; reach out to them at 979-308-4450.
