Dental crowns are a common orthodontic appliance. A tooth can get damaged because of a disease, decay or impact. In such cases a dental crown restores that tooth. But these crowns too can get damaged sometimes. Even temporary crowns can fall off in certain cases. What you should do when your permanent or temporary crown fails or falls off?
Your dental crown falls off on a weekend or a night. What will you do?
When it falls off on a weekend then chances are high that you will not get an appointment with the dentist till the next working day. How are you going to cope with the dental crown situation? First of all you should not panic when you find yourself in such circumstance. There are quite a few things to do in your situation to manage the crisis. Read on to know more.
Stay cool and do not press on the panic button
Dental technicians having years of experience in fixing emergency crowns repair suggest the first thing for you to remember when your crown falls off is to stay cool and calm. Losing your dental crown is not exactly something that rings for a celebration. But you must remember that the problem can be fixed. Initially the situation may expose you to some pain. But that damage is never permanent.
Carefully examine the crown
What you should do once your dental crown falls off depends on the condition of the crown to some extent. First you should try locating the crown. If you can find it take a close look at it and assess the damage. If there is no tooth portion inside the crown then that is a positive sign. In that case it could be possible to simply reattach the crown back in place. Your dentist can do this easily once he or she sees you. Even if you detect a tiny piece of metal inside the damaged crown then that is also normal. The metal part is the crown’s post. The crown anchored on your tooth with help of the post.
Let your dentist know about the crown fall off
After you have assessed the damage on the fallen off dental crown you should place a call to your dentist and inform them about the unfortunate development. Chances are high that the dentist would enquire about the condition of the crown. Request an emergency appointment with the dentist and get the crown reattached or replaced in the earliest possible moment.
Cleaning the crown
As you still have the crown, clean it properly. While washing a failed crown it is alright to use gentle soap and water. Now place it in a secured place where it can stay clean and free from any kind of contamination. For example, you can keep it in a plastic bag. You have to carry it along to your dentist for the ‘fallen off crown’ appointment.
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Meanwhile ensure protection for the tooth
The fallen off crown was meant to protect a tooth that was already damaged. Therefore, now that the crown has fallen off now it is important to protect that damaged tooth. What can you do to protect the underlying structures of the tooth? The chances are high that the nerves of the tooth will now get exposed. As a result, the tooth will be sensitive to touch and temperature. Thankfully there is still something you can do to provide temporary protection to that tooth. In order to provide reinforcement to the tooth get some dental cement from the local pharmacy. Mould the cement carefully around the exposed tooth. You will find the necessary instructions for using dental cement properly on the package. In these situations, dental wax also proves helpful in protecting and reinforcing the already damaged tooth.
Avoid certain food items
Now that your already damaged tooth is temporarily safe and secure from any further damage you should avoid certain food items. Avoid all kinds of hard, crunchy and chewy food items. These types of food items could prove to be risky as those may dislodge the dental cement. When the dental cement is dislodged the tooth becomes exposed and vulnerable to further damage. Even hot and cold foods and drinks may give you a sharp, unpleasant sensation in the tooth. It is better to avoid such foods and drinks too. Thankfully this restriction is only for the time being. Once your dentist sees you and gets the crown repaired then there is no need to follow the restriction.
How can you prevent dental crowns from falling off?
Now you know what you should do in case your dental crown falls off. But it is important to discuss why or under which circumstances a dental crown falls off. This will help you ensure your crown does not fall off from the tooth. Experienced dentists opine that a dental crown may fall off for a number of reasons. These include the following –
Decay and disease in the tooth – Your crown is attached to your existing tooth structure. Now if decay eats away the tooth, the structure of the tooth gets changed. So your crown will automatically get unattached in such circumstance. You should take preventive measures again tooth decay to avoid falling off of your dental crown. Brush the teeth properly twice a day and floss once are the basic steps to avoid decay of the teeth.
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Impact on the tooth – A massive impact can dislodge a dental crown from its place. This type of impacts is quite common in contact sports. If you are into sports then always make sure to wear a helmet along with a mouth guard whenever you are taking the field.
Be careful while having hard foods – While biting down on hard food items, like certain nuts and seeds, you must be little careful. Hard food items can damage your crown. Certain foods have hard substances hidden in them. You must be particularly careful while having those kinds of foods.
Teeth grinding – In dental terms this issue is called bruxism. It can damage your normal teeth that are not crowned. Moreover, the problem can also weaken your crowned tooth or teeth as well the crown itself. The problem of teeth grinding is actually hard to notice as it occurs only at night when one is asleep. However, dentists can recognise symptoms of bruxism. This problem may not only result in falling off of your dental crown. It can also make your crown wear out prematurely. A properly fitted mouth guard is the best way to resolve the problem.
In addition to the factors mentioned above your crown may also fall off because of improper fitting, explain dentists working at Emergency Dentist London Pro. This is why you need your dental crowns fitted by skilled and experienced dentists at all times.