What Should I Do if I Broke a Crown?

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Dental emergencies are often painful and stressful, especially if a part of your tooth or restoration is fractured or broken. This can leave the soft tissues of the mouth exposed to sharp edges as well as increase your risk of infection or decay. Fortunately, if you break a dental crown there are number of things you can do to ease your discomfort and get the treatment you need right away. Here are a few tips to consider and hopefully you will be prepared in case of a dental emergency.

How Do I Know I Have a Broken Crown?

Like the natural structure of your tooth, a crown restoration is strong, but not impervious. If you bite down on something too hard, commonly grind or clench your teeth or suffer from dental trauma you risk breaking a dental crown. You might break a crown if you have a bite discrepancy or deep decay. There is no mistaking that strange sensation when you chip, crack or break a natural tooth. The same usually goes for a dental crown as well. It will not take you long to realize something in your mouth is amiss. You might feel some increased sensitivity or a jagged edge, or notice the crown is broken or entirely dislodged.

Do I Need to Worry?

For the most part a broken dental crown is not too serious of a dental emergency as long as the pulp is still protected. You might notice some sensitivity or a jagged edge in mild cases. However, if you are dealing with severe pain that interferes with your eating, sleeping or working, then the problem could be more serious. Even if you have no pain, it is important to visit your dentist as soon as possible —at least within a day or two. Sometimes, the damage goes beyond the restoration. In these cases, a fracture compromises the integrity of your crown as well as your tooth. A fractured crown could lead to infection or complications with tooth decay.

How to Respond When you Lose a Crown

1. Examine the area and if possible, find the missing crown.
2. Call the dentist for an emergency appointment.
3. If your tooth is causing pain use a cotton swab to apply a topical anesthetic or clove oil.
4. Where possible, you want to slip the crown back over your tooth. Make sure both the tooth and restoration are cleaned and secure your crown in place with either toothpaste or dental cement.
5. Stick to a soft diet until you can see your dentist.

Repairing a Dislodged Crown

The dentist will repair your crown based on several factors. If you save your crown and no damage has been done to your natural tooth, sometimes the dentist can simply replace the current crown. However, if you damage the crown beyond repair or the underlying tooth is severely decayed, the dentist will have to perform a more extensive procedure. Your dentist might recommend an entirely new restoration.

To learn more about restorations or what to do in a dental emergency visit us at medgausdentalcare.com or contact our office to speak with our helpful and knowledgeable staff. We are always ready to help in an emergency.

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