What should you do about a lost filling or crown?
Fillings are materials that are used to fill cavities in your teeth. Crowns are covers for the top of damaged teeth. There are times where these fillings and crowns will fall out. In these cases, a filling or a crown may become loose because of decay underneath it. The decay changes the shape of the tooth and it will result in loose fitting crowns and fillings.
What can you do about a lost filling or crown?
A lost filling or crown should not be an alarming issue. However, it can be painful because the exposed tooth tissue is sensitive to temperature, pressure, and air. If you lose a crown, you must put it in a safe place and make an appointment with your dentist as soon as you can. You should not wait too long. The tooth will be too weak and can even get more damaged if the crown is not in place to protect it. Moreover, when a crown is missing for a long time, the teeth may move. When this happens, your crown may no longer fit. If you have lost a filling or a crown and your tooth is sensitive, here are some of the things you can do before you get to your dentist
- you can apply a little clove oil to the sensitive area using a cotton swab. This will give you some relief from pain. You can purchase clove oil in drugstores or at special aisles at the grocery
- if you still have a crown then you may be able to slip it back into the tooth. Before doing this, make sure that the inside of the crown is clean. Coat the inside of the crown with tooth cement before attaching it. This cement can be purchases at the local dental sections of your pharmacy. Some tooth cements have to be mixed while others don't. If you can not find tooth cement then you can use denture adhesives or petroleum jelly. They aren't permanent solutions but they can keep the crown in place until you see your dentist again. Do not use any household glues on your crowns because they are not safe to put in your mouth and they may even damage the tooth itself and the crown
- if you have lost the filling or the crown then you can put dental cement directly on the tooth's surface. This will seal the area until you see your dentist again
What will your dentists do?
If your tooth is not decayed and if the crown still fits properly then the dentist will simply clean the area and reattach the crown. If the filling was lost then the dentist will simply put a new filling. If the tooth has been affected by decay then you dentist will first remove the decay. Afterwards, the new filling or new crown will be attached.