In life, accidents happen but fortunately, not everything is an emergency. For instance, if you notice one day that your dental crown has loosened and fallen out, there are a few things you can do. One of which is to contact our Shelby Township dentists for assistance.
Here are a few other actions you can take when your .
1. How Should I React?
First, don’t panic. Panicking won’t help fix the situation at hand. Though losing your crown is not considered an immediate dental emergency, it should be dealt with sooner than later. It’s not uncommon for them to become loose, but that typically means there is another issue our dentists will need to investigate, i.e., age of the crown or decay.
Because your tooth is more vulnerable without the crown, it’s important to calmly take the right steps to protect your tooth and make sure it stays intact. Once you arrive at our Shelby Township dental office, we’ll get to work properly restoring your smile.
2. Should I Go to the Emergency Room?
Generally, no. Emergency attention is typically reserved for times when your has sharp jagged edges that could cut your tongue and/or cheeks. Otherwise, you should be fine waiting a few days for your appointment.
If your crown did break but the edges aren’t sharp, make sure you tell our dentists when you come in as we’ll want to know if it’s irritating you. The irritation might be the symptom of another condition or just the result of your mouth feeling weird due to your crown breaking.
3. When Do I Need to Call the Office?
Remember, there’s no need to panic. If your dental crown falls off, the first thing you’ll need to do is give our dentists a call. We’ll be able to fit you into our schedule as soon as possible but advise you to use over-the-counter pain relievers in the meantime to reduce any pain or discomfort.
If your dental crown is still intact and not broken, we recommend buying some dental adhesive or “cement” from a local pharmacy. Next, you’ll want to clean the inside of your dental crown. Apply the adhesive or cement to your actual tooth and place your dental crown on top. Hold the dental crown in place until the cement dries. Remember, this is a temporary solution.
If your dental crown isn’t intact, we still recommend keeping it to show our dentists. We may be able to reuse your dental crown if it’s in good condition. Until then, mold dental wax over your tooth so it’s protected.
You’ll want to use the same dental wax that’s used to push errant wire braces back into place. The good news is most drug stores sell dental wax so it should be relatively easy to find.
4. Will I Need a Whole New Crown?
Not necessarily, but this depends on the condition of your current dental crown. If your dental crown is unbroken, our dentists can try to place it back on your tooth. Otherwise, our dentists may have to make a new crown entirely.
If you do need a new dental crown, our dentists will take impressions of your teeth to send to the lab. We will then place a temporary crown over your tooth. When you return for your second appointment, your permanent tooth crown will be ready.
5. Can I Still Eat?
Once you protect your tooth, you’ll be able to eat. However, you’ll need to stay away from foods that are hard to chew or sticky. That way, you won’t pull off your crown again by accident or damage your tooth. It’s also best if you chew on the side opposite of your protected tooth until it’s fixed to minimize the chance of accidentally damaging it.
6. What if I Swallowed My Crown?
Call a medical doctor immediately if you think you swallowed your crown by accident. There’s a chance you could have aspirated it instead and your dental crown could be in your lungs. A medical doctor will be able to take X-rays to see where your crown went. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
If you did indeed swallow your dental crown, it should pass in a few days. Dental crowns are small and smooth, which makes it easy for them to pass through the digestive tract.
Make an Appointment Today
If your crown fell out, we can help. Both of our experienced dentists in Shelby Township, MI care about restoring your smile to a healthy and happy state. Request an appointment today by calling the dental office of Jeffrey T. Baker, DDS PC at (586) 992-9222.
This blog post has been updated.
