What To Do When You Lose a Crown or Filling

Crowns and fillings are among the most common dental restorations used to protect your teeth and prevent further problems. But like any type of dental restoration, they’re not designed to last forever — and they can be damaged.

At A to Z Dental Studio in Fairfax, Virginia, Hiba Zakhour, DDS, offers personalized emergency dental care aimed at relieving pain, correcting problems, and preventing dental issues from getting worse. Here’s what to do if you have a restoration that falls out.

Why fillings or crowns fall out

Even though fillings and crowns are designed to stay put, there are times when they can become dislodged. Some of the most common causes of many dental restorations include:

• Biting down on something hard
• Eating foods that are very sticky or chewy
• Decay forming under a restoration
• Tooth grinding (bruxism)
• Damage to the underlying adhesive

In most cases, if you lose a crown or a filling, you’re going to have some tooth pain — possibly considerable pain. That’s because once the filling or crown is gone, the underlying nerve can be exposed.

What to do if your crown or filling falls out

That’s what causes a crown or filling to come out — now here’s what to do if it happens to you.

Call the office

Replacing a restoration as soon as possible is the key to relieving pain and preventing further tooth damage, including deep infections. When you call our office, we’ll be able to schedule an emergency appointment for you and give you tips on what to do before you come in.

Save the restoration

If you can, save the crown or filling, rinse it off, place it in a container, and bring it with you to your appointment. In some cases, the restoration may be able to be placed back in your tooth. If not, we will create a new restoration for you.

Avoid foods that are hard or sticky

Stick to soft foods and chew on the other side of your mouth, opposite from the side where the affected tooth is located.

Take a pain reliever

Over-the-counter pain relievers can help reduce painful symptoms, and some medicines, like ibuprofen, can help with swelling, too.

Apply ice

If you’re having a lot of discomfort, you can apply an ice pack to the outside of your cheek (not directly to your tooth). Ice can help with swelling, too.

Be gentle when cleaning

It’s important to keep the area clean until you get to your appointment. Rinse the area thoroughly and brush very gently to keep food particles away from the affected tooth.

Don’t delay care

Losing a dental filling, crown, or other restoration is a dental emergency, which means it needs to be fixed as soon as possible. If your restoration breaks or falls out, call our office right away or book an appointment online.