Posted: August 21, 2017
One second you are taking a bite of your pizza crust and the next second your crown or filling comes out. A lost filling or crown is rarely an emergency, but it can be painful and sensitive when your tooth tissue is exposed to temperature, pressure and air. Crowns and fillings sometimes fall out due to eating something hard or crunchy. They can fall out due to having recurring decay underneath the fill/crown. When there is a secondary decay or a recurring cavity underneath the dental restoration, it destroys part of the tooth so the restoration doesn’t have a good fit on the tooth.
If you lose a filling or a crown, the best thing to do is call your doctor and make an appointment to see them as soon as possible for treatment. If your crown falls out, make sure to keep it in a safe place and bring it to your appointment. Sometimes all the dentist has to do is re-cement the crown back on.
If your crown falls out, don’t wait too long before seeing your dentist. A crown is meant to be placed on your tooth as a form of protective coverage. It is meant to keep your tooth safe from possible fractures or more decay. Delaying your appointment to see your dentist can cause further damage to your tooth. In addition to that, if your crown is missing for a while, your teeth might shift to fill in the space where your crown was located. If this shift occurs, your existing crown might not fit anymore and you would have to get a new crown prepared.
There are a few things that you can do to if you are unable to schedule your dental appointment right away. If your crown falls out, you may be able to place the crown back on the tooth. First of all you have to clean the inside of the crown. Temporary crown cement is available over the counter in many drug stores. You can place temporary crown cement inside the crown, and place the crown directly on your tooth. Press down with your finger or bite down with your teeth on the crown until the crown feels stable. If your filling comes out, the same temporary filling material sold over the counter can be used to protect and seal the area. Remember that these are only temporary solutions and not permanent. Do not get comfortable with a temporary fix as they will eventually lead to further dental problems if not handled properly.
Overall, a missing crown or filling is not an emergency, but the sooner you come in to replace the fill/crown, the better results you will have. Delaying treatment further than necessary will only cause more complications for the tooth itself and more treatment for you. If you have a missing filling or crown call us today to schedule an appointment. We proudly serve patients from Arlington, Keller, and Fort Worth Areas.
