A crown is made from durable artificial materials that are meant to last a very long time. However, something like a blow to the face, a hard fall or periodontal disease can cause the cement holding the crown to fail, or even damage the abutment. If one of your crowns falls out, you should call your dentist as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.
If you can’t immediately contact Dr. Crawford A. Tatum Jr., or we can’t immediately get you in for an appointment there are a few things to be aware of.
Don’t brush or attempt clean the abutment or the crown. This could damage something and make the problem even worse. Any cleaning should be left to Dr. Crawford A. Tatum Jr.. You can gently rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water if a blow to the face left blood or debris in your mouth.
If the crown fell out because bacteria weakened the cement anchoring the crown to the abutment, you will see the abutment sticking out from your gums. It should look like a small nub of tooth or dull gray metal. In a situation like this the crown will also be completely hollow. In this case Dr. Crawford A. Tatum Jr. might be able to cement the crown back into place.
If the abutment broke off at the gum line or has been otherwise damaged, you should see some or all of it inside the crown. When this happens Dr. Crawford A. Tatum Jr. will usually need to perform a root canal to restore enough structure to cement the crown back in place.
If you have a damaged, or broken crown has you should call us as soon as possible at 334-745-6393 to schedule an appointment.