Lost a Dental Crown? Follow These 5 Steps

Dental crowns can potentially last for many years, but it’s not unheard of for one to fall out of the mouth prematurely. If this happens, the tooth that the crown was attached to will be susceptible to further damage. As such, you will want to act quickly in order to resolve the issue and protect your overall oral health. Your emergency dentist is here to explain the 5 steps you should follow if you ever lose a dental crown.

1. Locate the Crown

As long as the crown isn’t too old or damaged, reattaching it to the tooth may be possible – provided that you still have it. Thus, if your crown falls out, your immediate first step should be to find and retrieve it. Once you do, you should keep it someplace safe so that you don’t forget to bring it with you when the time comes to see the dentist.

2. Call Your Dental Office

Upon finding your lost crown, your next step should be to give your dental office a call. A helpful team member will listen as you explain what happened before they schedule an emergency appointment for you. They may give you instructions for taking care of your mouth or your crown prior to your visit; make sure that you follow these instructions to the letter.

3. Keep Your Tooth Safe

While your crown is missing, you will need to go out of your way to keep the now-exposed tooth safe. In particular, you should stay away from any foods that are especially hard or require an excessive amount of chewing. Furthermore, whenever you eat, you should always keep the food away from the side of your mouth where the affected tooth is located. When it comes to oral hygiene, you will still be able to brush your teeth as long as you’re gentle.

4. If Possible, Temporarily Reattach the Crown

In some cases, it may be possible to reseat a dental crown temporarily. To do so, you should first make sure the crown and the affected tooth are clean. Then, you can use a dab of toothpaste or over-the-counter dental cement as an adhesive to reattach the restoration. Obviously, this is no substitute for professional treatment, but it will help keep your tooth safe while you’re waiting for your appointment.

5. See Your Dentist

Once you’re able to see your dentist, they can evaluate the state of your tooth and your crown in order to decide what to do next. Sometimes they may be able to simply reattach the restoration, but in other situations, an entirely new one might be required. In either case, you can count on your dentist to act as quickly as possible to ensure that your tooth is once again properly protected.

About the Author

Dr. Natalya Nagornaya is a graduate of the University of Illinois – College of Dentistry. She belongs to the Illinois State Dental Society, the American Dental Association, and the Chicago Dental Society. When it comes to lost dental crowns and other urgent oral health issues, she works to see her patients as soon as possible. If you need to schedule an emergency dental appointment with Dr. Nagornaya at Countryside Dental in Buffalo Grove, contact her office by calling (847) 634-2525.