When you receive a filling or crown meant to protect your tooth after treatment for a cavity or a root canal, you naturally expect the fixture to be permanent. If all goes well, your fillings and crowns could last indefinitely.
However, we can be pretty hard on our dental work. Some adults suffer from bruxism, or unconsciously clenching and grinding teeth. Some participate in sports that could result in trauma to the mouth and teeth. Or maybe you make the mistake of chewing hard candy, ice cubes, or pen caps. Even normal wear and tear could lead to lost or broken fillings or crowns.
In fact, it’s a fairly common occurrence. Is it an emergency, though? What should you do when you lose a filling or crown? Here are a few tips to get you through this understandably upsetting situation.
Don’t Go to the ER
In the vast majority of cases, losing a filling or crown is not an emergency. If you’ve been in an accident that resulted in trauma to your mouth, you may be dealing with an emergency situation on another level, but having a filling or crown break or pop out is probably not an emergency in and of itself.
In other words, you don’t need to head to the ER or wake your dentist in the middle of the night. While you definitely want to correct the situation, you can wait until morning to call your dentist’s office to schedule an appointment for repair or replacement.
What Should You Do in the Meantime?
The biggest issues when you lose a filling or crown is that your exposed tooth could be subject to further damage. You may also experience some pain, particularly in relation to hot or cold foods, beverages, or even air. Dabbing on some clove oil or Anbesol could help to ease discomfort, but what you really need to do is protect your tooth until your dentist can replace the filling or crown.
There are a couple of options to consider. If a dental fixture pops out intact, you may be able to clean your tooth, clean the fixture, and temporarily put it back in place with some dental cement. If not, you could simply coat the exposed tooth surface with dental cement or dental wax. These are not long-term solutions, but they could prevent further harm until you can get in to see your dentist for professional help.
