Crowns are exceptionally versatile solutions for lots of problems with teeth, but they don’t last forever. In the best of situations, a crown placed over one of your natural teeth typically has a 10 to 20-year lifespan. Having to deal with loose porcelain crowns in Flagstaff or even having one replaced isn’t anything to be worried about, but it’s still something that you should know about in advance.
Dental crowns near you are subjected to constant pressure and torque while you chew, bite and eat every day. Your mouth is a dynamic environment and all the motion, pressures, torque and changes to which your crowns are exposed can’t help but have an impact on the crowns themselves.
Sometimes you might not even know that you have a loose dental crown until that crown comes right off your tooth, which is a startling way to find out. What should you do if that happens?
How to respond to losing a crown
If you’re eating and suddenly realize that a crown has come off a tooth, the first thing that you should do is to retrieve that crown from your mouth to avoid swallowing it or choking. Once you get a hold of the crown, rinse it carefully under clean water and set it aside somewhere safe. Your dentist may actually be able to return it to place depending on its condition.
Whether losing a crown is a dental emergency depends a lot on the condition of the tooth it was covering. If you’re very anxious or experiencing pain after losing a crown, by all means contact a dentist near you on an emergency basis for advice about how quickly you should get dental attention. Even if it does not feel like an emergency situation, contact your dentist in Flagstaff as soon as convenient.
If you find that your tooth is very sensitive in the absence of the crown, you can temporarily get some relief from that tooth sensitivity by putting some clove oil on the tooth with a cotton swab or covering the tooth with some dental cement. Be sure to tell your dentist about the tooth sensitivity. It may indicate that your tooth is damaged and vulnerable to bacteria if left unprotected for too long. Depending on those factors, your dentist may schedule an appointment as quickly as possible.
What if your crown gets chipped?
As strong and durable as crowns are, they can become chipped in accidents or even as the result of bad habits (like using your teeth like wrenches) or even by grinding your teeth as you sleep. If you notice that your crown has become chipped, you should call your dentist immediately. That’s especially true if the broken piece hasn’t broken off yet, but is merely hanging loose. Don’t decide on your own to pull the loose piece off; get advice from your dentist first.
Generally speaking, you don’t need to rush into the dentist on an emergency basis, but can wait a day or two. The exception to that general rule is if the chipped crown has left behind a jagged break that is causing pain or discomfort. While you may be able to wait a day or two until seeing a dentist, don’t wait to call a dentist. Be sure to tell your dentist and their staff if you're experiencing any pain, tooth sensitivity, or prolonged or excessive bleeding.
In many cases, minor chips can be repaired, but your dentist will carefully examine your crown, your underlying tooth and the purpose that the crown was placed to perform before making a decision about repairing versus replacing that crown.
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