Clean the inside of the crown first and then coat it with dental cement and hold it in place. Dental cement, which is available in most drugstores, can also be used to simply coat the tooth and protect it from bacteria invading it. Additionally, you can apply dental wax to the tooth to fill the gap and create a barrier for a short period of time. Many dental offices offer dental wax for patients with braces or other procedures, but you can usually find it in drugstores as well.
The good news is that if you really need a dentist (like me), there are areas or facilities you can visit on a weekend without necessarily waiting for your dentist, Sherer says. Pain can range from dull pain to sharp pain, and rapid relief is needed in the time between your crown or filling falling out and your dental appointment. Because of the serious oral health and general health problems that an abscess can cause, you should see your dentist as soon as possible if you notice a pimple-like swelling on your gums that is usually painful. Before you do so, coat the inner surface with over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste, or denture adhesive to keep the crown in place.
This is particularly the case if your filling or crown came out because the tooth has decayed. It is possible that the dentist will recommend a more robust solution to your dental problems, such as removing the tooth or performing a procedure such as a root canal treatment. You should always practice good oral hygiene, but you should be particularly careful if you have an exposed interior of your teeth after a crown or filling has fallen out. For example, if I were traveling to Europe with a temporary crown on my teeth, I would visit my dentist before I travel to make sure everything is stabilized, says Warren Scherer, DDS, chair of the department of general dentistry and management sciences at New York University College of Dentistry in New York City. If you find that your crown or filling has fallen out, regardless of the condition of the underlying tooth, you need to take care of the tooth quickly before it becomes even more difficult to handle.
Forestwood Dental dentists will examine your teeth and may take X-rays to determine the best treatment option for you. However, if you experience a toothache, a crown falls out, your gums become inflamed, or another dental emergency occurs, don’t panic. There are simple things you can do to stop the pain and keep functioning until you can see a dentist. When I was growing up, there was rarely a special occasion, vacation, or even a long weekend that my mom didn’t, say, lose a crown, lose a bridge, or simply needed emergency root canal treatment. This is certainly not a permanent solution, but it could work for a very short period of time, enough to get into the dental office.
It is important that you pay attention to the condition of your tooth until you visit the dentist, as you want to avoid further damage. After removing the broken or damaged crown, call your dentist to make an appointment as soon as possible. Luckily I found a local dentist who prescribed a course of antibiotics to reduce the infection until I was able to have the tooth extracted. Even though missing fillings aren’t usually an emergency, it’s a good idea to have them replaced as soon as possible.
