If you’ve ever had a crown fall off, you have probably felt initial panic and thought, ” Oh no, now what do I do? In most dental situations, you should first call your dentist, and they will likely take a look at your tooth. Sometimes you might find yourself in this situation while out of town or on the weekend, and then you wonder, now what?
Why Cement Your Temporary Crown?
A temporary crown serves many purposes. It helps prevent hypersensitivity. After a tooth has been prepped, it’s more likely to be sensitive when exposed to air and cold temperatures. Cementing your crown back on will likely help your tooth sensitivity if you notice that it started when your temporary crown fell off.
A temporary crown also helps to protect your gum tissue around the newly prepped tooth area. It helps to maintain proper spacing around the prepared tooth so that the permanent crown can easily be placed in a few weeks. For those concerned with aesthetics, a temporary crown also fills the missing tooth’s space so that it doesn’t look like you are missing part of your tooth.
How To Temporarily Cement A Crown?
You can quickly cement your temporary crown by applying these simple tips:
Examine Your Temporary Crown – Rinse your crown and check it for chipped or broken pieces. The inside of your crown should be mostly hollow as this is where the temporary cement will be placed.
Clean Off Temporary Cement – If there is residual cement on the inside or side of the crown you can brush or scrape this off. You can use a toothbrush or an opened-up paperclip to scrape off any hardened cement.
Gather Your Supplies – You will need your temporary crown and some adhesive to recement your crown. Most drug stores carry dental adhesive, but denture adhesive can also be a good option.
Try On Your Temporary Crown – Now that your temporary crown is clean, you can place it over your prepped tooth to see how it fits. A mirror may be helpful to see that everything is lining up correctly. Bite down gently to make sure that the crown isn’t high in any places. If it fits over easily and your bite seems good, you are now ready to cement it!
Dry, Dry, Dry! Your tooth must be dry for the adhesive to stick properly. If the area is wet, the adhesive won’t work as it should, and the temporary is likely to fall back off.
Fill The Crown With Cement – Cement should not overfill the crown as most of it will be pushed out when placed onto your prepped tooth. Make sure to place the crown in the appropriate orientation, and once it is seated you can bite down gently. Access cement will squeeze out, and you can remove it from the edges with a toothpick or gently with your toothbrush. Floss on both sides of the newly cemented crown and pull the floss out the side. Don’t pull the floss up through contact, as this will likely pull out the crown.
When Not To Temporarily Cement A Crown?
There are a few cases in which our dentist recommends that you don’t cement your crown back on if it has fallen off. For instance, if you notice that your crown has chipped, do not cement it as it may agitate your gum tissue or trap food and bacteria. In this case, you will need your dentist to make a new temporary crown for you.
If your crown has a post and has come loose or off completely, do not cement your temporary crown. For this situation, you will also need to see your dentist.
When it comes to losing your crown, the most important thing is to stay calm. Call your dentist and let them know what has happened, and they will guide you through the next steps that you should take. If reaching your dentist isn’t an option, you can follow the simple tips above to replace your temporary crown.