What To Do When a Crown Comes Loose Or Breaks

Got a Loose or Broken Crown?

Even though “permanent” crowns are supposed to be permanent, the reality is that some might last a lifetime, but some may only last five to ten years. It really depends upon the condition of the tooth that is supporting the crown, how the crown was adhered to your mouth, and your own dental hygiene practices. At one time or another, people with crowns should not be surprised if they break off or come loose.

What To Do When A Crown Comes Off

After biting into an apple or even flossing, a crown might come loose. The best thing to do first is to get the broken crown out of your mouth, so you don’t accidentally swallow it or, even worse, breathe it in. The second thing to do is to call us to schedule and appointment and get instructions about what to do in the meantime!

Is There Pain?

Most of the time, there probably won’t be any pain. If there is severe pain, it could be a sign that nerves are exposed and, in some cases, they might already be infected. In this case, it is important to contact the dentist office for an emergency appointment as quickly as possible.

If there is no pain, this situation still calls for a quick trip to our dental office, but it isn’t an emergency. Contact us for an appointment as quickly as possible. The person who makes appointments at the dental office will probably ask you to describe the crown and make an appointment within the next few days, but he or she may not treat it as an actual emergency.

Home Care Of Broken Crowns

It is probably a good idea to save the crown. If it is just a case of the cement coming loose, the old crown might simply get glued back on the dentist. In fact, there is even over-the-counter dental cement that can be purchased at the drug store. The dental office might advice you to use this until the dental appointment. If so, carefully follow instructions on the package.

In any case, rinse the crown off in warm water and save it inside of a baggy. The dentist may be able to use it. If not, he or she might still want to see it to understand how the damage was done and how to prevent it in the future.

If you can’t replace the crown, make sure your mouth is kept as clean as possible in order to avoid infection. While you might want to avoid touching that tooth with food or a toothbrush, be sure to rinse your mouth. Just be sure to schedule that appointment with our Milwaukee dental office quickly, so we can get you all fixed up with a “whole” tooth!

What to Do if You Lose a Crown or a Bridge During the Weekend

It is not uncommon for crowns and bridges to get dislodged, especially if you have had them for a long time. The good news is that it is possible to put the crown or bridge back in. While losing a bridge or a crown can be quite distressing, it is rarely a serious emergency. As long as you take measures to protect the tooth and go to the dentists as soon as reasonably possible (a delay over the weekend, if your dental office is closed, should not be an issue as long as you are not in pain) the dentist should be able to fix the problem.

If you lose a crown or a bridge during normal office hours, head to the dentists immediately. If you lose it during the weekend, or a public holiday, try to preserve the damaged part until the dentists opens again, or call the dentists at www.emergencydentistmilwaukee.com.

Clean the inside of the fitting and try to remove any cement that is in there. Check that the crown or bridge will sit back inside the mouth comfortably. Remove it again and then carefully dry the inside.

Try to dry your tooth as well. If possible, use some over-the-counter temporary cement to re-seat the crown and hold it in place. If you have crowns or bridges consider keeping some of this in your first-aid kit because it comes in very handy. If you have lost the crown or bridge you can use the cement to act as a temporary cover to protect the exposed surface of the teeth.

If you were in pain, then covering the tooth again should help to reduce the pain. It is OK to take over-the-counter painkillers (assuming, of course, that you do not have an underlying medical condition and you are not taking any other medication).

Do not, under any circumstances, use standard household glues to try to repair your teeth. Many of these glues are toxic and even the ones that are not explicitly toxic could cause serious damage to your teeth. If you cannot use temporary cement for any reason, try using a small amount of normal denture fixatives, or, alternatively, a little petroleum jelly. If you go this route, then try to avoid chewing with the area of your mouth that contains the damaged tooth because this could cause the grown to become dislodged again.

What To Do If You Have A Broken Crown Or Bridge Over The Weekend?

A woman who got here dentures fixed There are instances that that can occur on a weekend, and they can leave you in a world of hurt, unless you know what to do at the right time. If you have a serious dental situation and it happens on a weekend, what should you do?

In many areas there are emergency dental offices in the Milwaukee area that exist just for that purpose. .

Having the right kind of information in this instance could be the difference between being able to keep, or having to lose a tooth. If you have a dental outlet that you can count on seven days a week, you won’t have to worry about making the right decision.

Once you locate an emergency dental office, write the number down on a piece of paper that you can place on a bulletin board on the wall, or on a magnet for the refrigerator. Then you will have the number handy just in case.

Be careful what you eat if you have crowns and bridges, and make sure that you are eating nothing that will compromise the integrity of these devices. Chewing of ice, eating popcorn, hard candy and other of these types of foods can all be hard on bridges and crowns.

Other situations can cause you to decide that you are having a dental emergency, such as throbbing pain, a fever, or bleeding from the gum. In these situations you should not hesitate to call a dentist, and if the incident is occurring on a weekend, don’t hesitate to call the emergency service.

Lost fillings, cracked or broken teeth or a tooth that gets knocked out are situations where immediate attention is warranted, and a visit to the emergency dental facility over the weekend would be appropriate.