Even though your new crown and the abutment anchoring it are intended to be very durable, it could be loosened or fall out. This is more likely if you participate in contact sports without using a custom mouthguard, if you have a bad habit of chewing on hard objects or you have struggled to resolve issues with gum disease.
If one of your crowns is loose, or has just fallen out, you need call us immediately. We can advise you on the best course of action and schedule an appointment to resolve it quickly.
If, for some reason, you can’t call us, there are a few things you can do to help mitigate the situation.
If your crown is loose, but hasn’t fallen out you should avoid wiggling it. Playing with it too much risks damaging the abutment inside.
If you have a crown fall out, don’t try to clean it or the abutment. Your dentist will determine the best way to clean the area. If your crown was knocked out by a blow to the face or other injury and you have blood in your mouth, you can clean the area by rinsing with lukewarm salt water.
Inspect abutment by looking at it in a mirror. If the crown fell out because of an issue with the cement, you will see a small nub of tooth or dull gray metal. The crown will also be hollow. In this situation, your dentist will can often cement the crown back into place.
Unfortunately, if the abutment is fractured or broke off at the gum line you will see some of it inside the crown. In a situation like this your dentist will need to perform a root canal in order to provide a new abutment to anchor the crown.
If you have a damaged, loose, or broken crown has you should call us as soon as possible at 830-268-4447 to schedule an appointment.
