A dental crown is a useful tool that a dentist will employ to restore structure to a damaged or vulnerable tooth. This ceramic cap will replace weakened tooth enamel to ensure you can perform oral functions without worry. And it serves as a shield to prevent further harm to the tooth too.
With proper care, a crown can remain in place over the tooth for fifteen years or longer. But these caps are not indestructible. Under high pressure, a crown can break or dislodge, leaving the underlying tooth exposed.
You could face great danger to the tooth if you do not seek urgent repair and replacement from your dentist. So you should not hesitate to find emergency dental care for this accident.
You can react more smoothly in this dental scenario if you know what to do ahead of time. Read on to find actions you should take if you sustain damage to your dental crown.
Call Your Dentist About Damaged Dental Work Right Away
If your dental crown breaks, call your dentist as soon as you can. Do not try to replace the cap or take action on your own without consulting your dentist. You might further hurt your dental work or the underlying tooth.
The dentist will likely ask you to come to their office right away to evaluate and fix the dental damage. They can also recommend advice to manage acute discomforts related to this accident. For instance, they can tell you how to relieve pain and manage the broken crown until you arrive for your dentist appointment.
Attend Emergency Dentist Appointment
Your dentist will invite you to come to their office as soon as possible for an emergency dental evaluation. Make sure you bring your damaged dental crown with you. They will examine the crown, the affected tooth, and the surrounding area in the mouth for signs of damage.
Then, if the crown remains intact, the dentist can put it back over the tooth, sealing it into place once again with dental cement. If the crown is too damaged to use again, the dentist will need to make a new one.
As they build the new permanent crown, the dentist can provide you with a temporary one. This will protect and relieve discomfort as you wait for the new crown to be ready.
Prevent Future Harm to Your Dental Crown
Once your dental crown is safely restoring your tooth again, you will want to take measures to protect your dental work and prevent this accident from occurring again. Pay attention to your oral habits to ensure you do not exert too much pressure on the crown.
Biting on abnormally hard items or engaging in habits like teeth grinding may harm your crown again, requiring more urgent dental care to fix. Save time, money, and hassle by taking care of your smile. Effective oral health care will keep your surrounding smile looking and feeling its best and therefore less likely to interfere with the fit of your crown as well.