What Do You Do If A Dental Crown Falls Out?
For the most part, dental crowns do an excellent job of filling in gaps in a smile that would otherwise be missing something because of a damaged tooth. While dental crowns can last a long time, occasionally, they do need to be replaced or redone, and sometimes, they can even fall out if left untended to when there are obvious issues. Having a crown fall out of place can definitely be alarming, but there's no need to panic. Here's a short list of things you need to do if you have a dental crown that has fallen out of place.
Take the crown out of your mouth and put it in a safe place.
It's not uncommon for people to lose a crown when they are eating. This is because of the stress that's put on the area when you're chewing. In some cases, the crown can be accidentally swallowed. If you do accidentally swallow your dental crown, you should know that it should pass through your system without issues. However, if you do not swallow the crown, pull it out of your mouth, wash it off, and put it in a small container or baggie. When you get to the dentist, they may be able to reseat that same crown if it is salvageable.
Clean the area where the crown came out.
When a crown comes out, you may have an open piece of a damaged tooth exposed, or you may have what looks like a hole in your gumline where the crown was. You do not want food particles in this area, so do what you can to clean the area well and keep it clean until you get to the dentist. Gentle swishing with warm water does a good job of removing lodged food particles from the area.
Get in touch with your dentist as soon as possible.
Your crown was placed in your gumline over top of a tooth because of a damaged tooth, so you do not want to go longer than you have to with that piece of a tooth exposed. Contact your dentist and let them know you have lost a crown and you need to be seen right away. Most dentists will try to get you to the office immediately to avoid problems that occur because the crown was left out of place. If it will be a few days before you can get in, use a temporary filling material to cover the exposed damaged tooth.
Contact a company like Airport Road Dental Associates for more information and assistance.