When it comes to repairing damaged teeth, I recommend you visit me as soon as possible, but not every situation requires urgent care on the same day. Lucky for my Erlanger dental patients, I’m here to help you protect your smile until you reach our office. One of the most common oral health concerns we hear about from patients is a lost dental crown. Over time, crowns can break away from the repaired tooth and need to be replaced. If you’ve lost a dental crown, take a breath and read this post to learn some first aid tips to care for your smile and relieve pain until you visit our Erlanger dental office.

What Happens if My Crown Comes Off?

The first thing you need to do is calmly assess the situation. Take a close look at your tooth, and consider the following:

• Are you in pain? – if so, how bad would you consider it on a scale from 1 to 10?
• Is the crown whole? – if it is, it may be possible to simply have the restoration replaced.
• Is it potentially damaging your surrounding teeth? – feel how the bite fits together, and check for damage to the surrounding tooth structure like breaks or fractures.
• Are there sharp edges that could injure your soft tissue? – if there are edges, move your mouth around to see if any of your soft tissue is at risk for damage.

In most cases, you can temporarily replace the dental crown using denture adhesive. Simply dab a small amount of adhesive into the crown. Then, reposition it onto your tooth. Until it’s fully repaired in our office, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and brush and floss with extra care. Remove the crown at least once a day to clean the tooth structure below. If your dental crown is damaged and cannot be put back in place, I’ll likely want to see you more quickly to ensure your tooth is not further damaged.

How Can You Help?

When you arrive at our office, we’ll clean the tooth and crown, removing old bonding material and ensuring there’s no leaking or plaque buildup. In most cases, we can simply recement the dental crown. However, if your crown is damaged, a new restoration may be necessary.

How Can I Care for my Dental Crown Repaired Tooth?

To prevent damage to your crown in the future, treat your restoration with care. Brush using soft bristled toothbrushes and minimally abrasive toothpaste. Consider switching to a waxed or easy glide floss to avoid unnecessary pulling on the crown. Visit our office twice a year, so we can assess your restoration and make sure it remains whole and functional.