A: If you are out and about and you have a crown come off or if you’re having dinner or brushing your teeth and your crown comes off and it’s causing you some pain and sensitivity—what we recommend is drying that area as best as you can, cleaning out the crown so that there’s no debris in there. Then, place that back on the tooth as quickly as possible.
One item you can use to help it stay would be toothpaste. At CVS or Walgreens they generally will have temporary cement material that can help hold that crown on until you can come see us at JH Emergency dentist in San Antonio or visit your regular dentist.
If you’ve ever broken a tooth you’ve probably had a crown recommended to you by your regular or emergency dentist in San Antonio. A dental crown is a protective cover for a tooth that has been damaged. While it sounds similar to a veneer it is different as it covers most or all of the tooth. A veneer only covers the front of a tooth and is for aesthetics only. A crown gives support for a damaged or weak tooth, preventing further damage.
Depending on what materials your crown is made from it should easily last a few years. However, sometimes we have accidents or habits that cause the crown to come loose and detach. If this happens to you, it might be good to see an emergency dentist in San Antonio to address the situation quickly. Either way, it’s still good to be prepared and know what to do should that ever happen, so read on.
My Crown Fell Out. Do I Need An Emergency Dentist In San Antonio?
The scenario is not hard to imagine: You’re out enjoying happy hour nachos at Chuy’s, take a bite and suddenly you feel something weird in your mouth. It’s your crown! It has come loose and you nearly swallowed it.
If this were to happen to you, would you know what to do? Would you panic? It’s hard to say until it happens to you, so let us give you a heads up—
RECOVERY AND SEEING A DENTIST ASAP IS CRITICAL.
If you want to save the crown, the number one thing you should focus on is recovering the crown and get to a dentist ASAP. If you can, try and put the crown back on the tooth until you find an emergency dentist in San Antonio. To do this you need to be gentle and clean the interior of the crown with toothpaste. Then using toothpaste or sugar-free gum, you can “glue” the crown back into place. Additionally, you can go to Walgreens and get temporary dental adhesive if the other substances don’t work.
If you can’t find an available emergency dentist, you need to book the next available appointment with a dentist you trust. While making that appointment the dentist may give you some special instructions to preserve the crown. Follow those instructions word for word—it may save you a lot of money and heartache.
Until you get a replacement crown, you need to be cautious when eating and want to avoid chewing on the affected side. Stick to a liquid and soft food diet until it’s replaced, it will save you a lot of pain, time, and money.
What NOT To Do If Your Crown Falls Out
If your crown falls out, the most important thing to do is DO NOT SWALLOW.
While we’re at it, here are a few other things you should not do if your crown falls out:
- Eat foods such as beef jerky, hard candy, or anything else that is sticky, hard, or needs a lot of rigorous chewing.
- Chewing food on the side of your mouth the crown is missing from. While this may seem obvious—you’d be surprised how many do this.
- Brush your teeth rough—you have a crown missing, be gentle!
What Happens If A Temporary Crown Comes Off?
Except in same-day crown procedures, when you visit an emergency dentist in San Antonio for a crown, you get a temporary first. It acts as a placeholder to protect your tooth while the crown is being created in the lab. You could end up wearing a temporary for about two weeks in some cases.
Since it is temporary, it is not affixed to your tooth with strong cement. Rather, temporary cement is used, and the bond is not as strong. Therefore, you must be very careful with it. Your dentist that performs the procedure will warn against certain foods and activities that could knock it loose.
However, even if you follow your dentist’s orders to the letter, it is still possible for that temporary crown to come loose. Just as with a regular crown, contact your dentist right away. If it’s after hours, contact JH Emergency Dentist for assistance.
What Happens After The Crown Becomes Dislodged?
After your crown falls off a dentist will examine both the site where the crown was installed and the actual crown.
If the structural integrity of the crown has not been damaged, then it can be reinstalled. However, if the crown is damaged, you will need to wait for a new one to be created and installed.
If you not only need a new crown, but your tooth has suffered damage as well, there will be some prep work needed. Your dentist will need to potentially fill the tooth a bit or add material to build it up to crown it properly. You’ll likely be in a temporary crown while the new crown is being created.
Some emergency dentists in San Antonio and regular dentists offer same-day crowns. These are made from a very durable ceramic material, so you can skip the temporary crown then.
Why Do Crowns Come Loose?
Many patients don’t realize their crown is loose until it actually falls out. Crowns come loose for a wide array of reasons.
Sometimes, the tooth under the crown can begin to decay because bacteria has become lodged underneath the crown. That bacteria is sitting there unaffected by brushing and flossing and it festers allowing decay to set in. As the decay deteriorates the tooth, it affects the fit of the crown and it comes loose.
Other things that can cause a crown to come loose include:
- A crown that wasn’t fit properly in the first place
- Insufficient cement to hold the crown in
- Eating sticky foods that dislodge the crown after sticking to it
- Bruxism (grinding teeth)
- A tooth that has been significantly weakened
Sometimes a crown may not get fully dislodged and may dangle halfway off. In this case, it’s better to gently pull the crown off and preserve it for your dentist.
Avoid A Visit To An Emergency Dentist In San Antonio: Properly Care For Your Crown
Aside from your crown being installed incorrectly or the cement failing, you can prevent your crown from falling out. It takes a proactive approach to care for your crown to make the difference.
- Don’t chew ice or hard candy such as jawbreakers
- Avoid very sticky foods such as some types of hard candy (we’re looking at you Jolly Rancher lovers)
- Brush teeth at least twice daily
- Floss at least once a day
- Wear a mouth guard if you tend to grind your teeth when you sleep
Need The Best Emergency Dentist In San Antonio?
If you lose your crown, keep it as safe as possible and get to your dentist. However, if it’s after hours or your dentist is not available, contact us for help. We treat patients with dislodged crowns all the time and we can help you. Whatever you do, don’t hesitate—you can even book online!
