What can cause a crown to fall out? Maybe you bit down a little too hard on your Thanksgiving turkey leg, and now your crown is sitting in your palm instead of in your mouth where it belongs. It could also happen if you get hit by a football during your Thanksgiving playoffs with friends and family. In this case trauma is the culprit; it can loosen a crown, make it fall out, damage the tooth or even fracture the root.
Depending on what the situation is, the first thing to remember is to stay calm, and call your dental office. Let them know what is happening. Whatever the cause of the crown damage will determine the treatment.
If the crown falls out, don’t try cleaning it or the abutment. Let your dentist do that so nothing is disturbed. Look in a mirror to assess the damage. If the cement didn’t hold the crown, you will see a little nub of tooth standing out from the gums. You will also be able to see the metal abutment. Look inside the crown, is it hollow? If so, your dentist will be able to clean the abutment and the crown, and will cement the crown back into the proper place.
Gum disease may also cause your crown to fall out. The reason for that is that gum disease causes the gum tissue to recede from the teeth, and this allows bacteria to infiltrate the edge of the root where the crown meets the abutment. The bacteria can attach to the abutment as well and weaken it. It can also infect the pulp and tooth root. When this occurs, you can see a fracture in the abutment itself near the gum line. You may even find part of the abutment inside the crown. This will necessitate a root canal to replace the structure of the tooth.
Don’t be tempted to avoid your dentist. Possible complications can include a bacterial infection, your teeth moving, the gum tissue growing into the area where the crown needs to be re-attached, and possibly even damaging what is left of the tooth.
Contact your dental office for any problems with your crown. We will help you restore your crown as quickly as possible. Call us at 877-410-6945 and let us help get you smiling again!
