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Fillings, which are materials used to fill cavities in the teeth, and crowns,
which slip over and cover the tops of damaged teeth, sometimes loosen
and fall out. This is rarely an emergency, but it can be painful
because the exposed tooth tissue is often sensitive to pressure, air or
hot and cold temperatures. In some cases, a filling or crown may come
loose because decay has developed underneath it. The decay can cause
the tooth to change shape and as a result, the crown of filling no
longer fits the tooth properly.
What You Can Do
You may be eating, or biting on something hard when you discover
that a filling or a crown has become lose or fallen out. You may feel
the lost filling or crown in your mouth.
If it's a crown, put it in a safe place and make an appointment to
see your dentist as soon as you can. You don't want to wait too long
because the tooth will be weak and could be damaged more if it is not
protected by the crown. Also, when a crown is missing for a long time,
your teeth may move. If this happens your crown may no longer fit.
If the tooth is sensitive and you can't get to your dentist right away, here's what you can do:
- If you can reach the sensitive area, apply a little clove
oil with a cotton swab. It works well to dull tooth pain. You can buy
clove oil in pharmacies and also in the spice aisle of many
supermarkets.
- If you have the crown, you may be able to
slip it back over the tooth. Before you do that, it's important to
clean the inside of the crown as best you can. To hold it in place
temporarily, coat the inner surface of the crown with tooth "cement,"
which you can buy in the dental section of your pharmacy. There are
several temporary cements available. Some need to be mixed; others come
ready to use. You also can use denture adhesive or even petroleum jelly
if nothing else is available. These aren't permanent solutions, but
they will help to hold the crown in place until you can see your
dentist. You should not use any household glues to hold the crown in
place. These products are not safe to put in your mouth and can damage
the tooth and crown.
- If you've lost the filling or crown,
you can use over-the-counter dental cement to cover the tooth surface.
This will help to protect and seal the area until you're able to see
your dentist, and can make you more comfortable.
What Your Dentist Will Do
If the tooth is structurally sound and the crown still fits
properly, your dentist will clean the area and then replace the crown.
If the tooth has been affected by decay, your dentist will need to
prepare the tooth again by removing the decay and then making a new
filling or crown to replace the old one.
©2002-2005 Aetna, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reviewed by the faculty of Columbia University College of Dental Medicine