Your Crown Fell Out. What Now?

What to do in the first hour, and what not to do at all

First: keep the crown

Rinse it under cool water, dry it, and put it somewhere you will not lose it. An envelope or a pill container is better than a pocket.

This matters more than people expect. A crown that arrives at your appointment intact can usually be re-cemented in a short visit. A crown that went down the sink means a new one, which costs several times as much and takes weeks.

Is this an emergency?

Usually not, but it should be seen within a few days. Call your dentist the same day and describe what happened — they will tell you how quickly you need to come in.

It is urgent if: you are in significant pain, the exposed tooth is sharp and cutting your tongue or cheek, or there is swelling in the gum or face. Swelling in particular means infection, and that does not resolve on its own.

What to do until your appointment

• Chew on the other side. The tooth underneath a crown is often reduced to a small core and is easier to fracture than it looks.
• Keep the area clean. Brush gently around it and rinse with warm salt water. Exposed dentine collects debris quickly.
• Expect sensitivity. Cold and sweet things may be sharp. That is the exposed tooth, not necessarily a problem.
• Temporary cement is fine. Pharmacies sell dental cement designed for exactly this. Follow the packet, and stop if the crown will not seat easily.

Never use household glue. Super glue is toxic in the mouth, it fills the fitting surface so the crown no longer seats correctly, and it frequently turns a re-cementing appointment into a new crown. This is the single most expensive mistake people make with a loose crown.

Why crowns come loose

Three reasons account for most cases. Decay underneath — the crown is intact but the tooth it sits on has changed shape. Cement failure — ordinary wear over ten or twenty years. A fracture in the remaining tooth structure.

Only the second one is straightforward. The other two mean your dentist needs to look at the tooth, not just the crown. If a crown has come off more than once, the problem is almost certainly beneath it.

If you are in Pacifica

Call Shore View Dental at (650) 738-2100. We offer same-day appointments for urgent problems and see new patients. Bring the crown with you.

More on dental emergencies · New patients