Imagine this: you’re going about your daily life when you feel something strange in your mouth. Is it a piece of leftover food? You spit it out and your stomach drops—you’re now holding a dental crown or cavity that should be securely fixed in your smile! Read on as your Ardmore emergency dentist lays out step-by-step what you should do next.

Is a Lost Dental Crown or Filling an Emergency?

Since it’s usually less painful than other emergencies like a knocked-out or broken tooth, losing a dental crown or filling may not feel like a time-sensitive situation. While you don’t have to drop everything and rush off to your emergency dentist, you need to talk to them right away. The longer you wait, the longer the newly exposed sensitive parts of your tooth are subjected to outside elements. Not only will this likely make it painful to eat or drink hot, cold, or sweet items, but your tooth could quickly become more damaged or even infected. So what should you do if a crown or filling falls out?

1. Secure the lost dental crown or filling, don’t keep it in your mouth and risk swallowing it! While it’s unlikely, you could accidentally damage your other teeth or choke on it. Keep it and yourself safe by placing your dental crown or filling in a plastic bag or container.  
2. Call your dentist and tell them your situation in detail as soon as you can. They’ll be able to give you specific instructions for your situation, determine if it’s an emergency, and schedule an appointment for you as soon as possible.
3. Protect your exposed tooth with a piece of sugarless gum or some dental cement from your local pharmacy. These are very temporary fixes, but they should be able to keep your tooth relatively safe from food particles and extra pressure until you can see your dentist.
4. Be careful until your appointment if you choose to eat or drink anything. Ideally, you’ll be able to see your dentist before you get hungry, but if you must eat or drink, try to avoid using your exposed tooth as much as possible.

What to Expect At Your Appointment

At your appointment, your dentist will closely inspect your tooth to ensure that it hasn’t become more damaged or infected. If it is still structurally sound and the crown still fits, your dentist can disinfect both and re-cement the crown in place. If you need a new one, your Lincoln dentist may be able to offer you one within the same day. Instead of waiting weeks for an off-site dental lab to make your crown, an in-office CEREC machine allows your dentist to design and create one within the same day.

The only thing better than knowing how to respond to a dental emergency is knowing how to prevent it. While accidents do happen, the best way to protect your dental crowns and fillings is to fight off the plaque, bacteria, and decay that may cause them to become loose in the first place. With regular dental checkups and great oral hygiene, you can keep your smile happy, healthy, and intact for years to come!

About the Author

Despite our best efforts, a damaged tooth or lost dental crown can happen to anyone. Thankfully, Dr. Jaime Guthrie has the state-of-the-art technology you need in your dental emergency at her Ardmore, OK office. With the help of CEREC same-day dental crowns, she can restore your tooth in just a few hours, and you can get back to enjoying your happy, healthy smile. If you have any more questions about dental crowns, feel free to contact her via her website or at (580) 224-9600.