A few years ago, I was hanging out with one of my friends. He was biting into a sandwich and his crown came out of his mouth stuck in a piece of bread. Being a big fan of dentists, I went to the dentist with him that same day and watched as the dentist cemented the crown back into his mouth.
Unfortunately, not everyone can make it to the dentist right after their crown falls off.
Hopefully, if you do end up getting a crown in your life, it won’t fall off. However, if it does, here’s what you should do.
What to do When a Crown Comes off of Your Tooth
First of all, get the crown out of your mouth. You don’t want to risk swallowing it or accidentally breathing it in. If you swallow it, it will probably pass without a problem, but after it’s been through your digestive system you probably don’t want it back in your mouth! If you end up accidentally breathing it in, it could become infected.
Call your dentist and schedule an appointment. Let the office staff know that your crown came off. Give them as much details as you can. They should try to fit you in as soon as possible (within a few days at most.)
Next, examine the crown and look in your mouth. If your tooth fractured and is inside the crown, you will have to see your dentist before anything can be done. If the crown looks hollow or if it is not hollow but there is a small metal rod coming out of it (about the width of a paper clip), then you should be able to temporarily cement it back into your mouth before seeing a dentist to get it permanently cemented. Before proceeding, check with your dentist to see if it will be alright if you use temporary cement from the drugstore to temporarily put your crown back on.
Take a toothbrush and gently clean off the crown and the tooth inside your mouth where the crown was located. After cleaning, make sure that the crown and the tooth are as dry as you can get them.
Next, you will need to have some temporary crown cement which you can purchase at most any pharmacy. A popular brand name of this cement is Recapit Temporary Crown Cement, which is a temporary glue that will hold your crown onto its underlying tooth structure until you can get in to see a dentist.
Remember to be careful and not chew too hard on the crown that you have re-cemented. Don’t chew sticky foods like caramel or taffy. The temporary cement is much weaker than the permanent cement that the dentist initially used.
Update: I have written an article that talks about the different temporary crown cements, which ones have the best reviews, and also gives some tips on the best way to re-cement your crown. You can read it at Which Temporary Crown Cement is the Best?
See Your Dentist To Permanently Cement the Loose Crown
You need to make sure that you go to your dentist so he or she can permanently cement your crown back to its underlying tooth structure. The crown is still slightly loose, temporary cement really is temporary.
Also, after the crown came off, the underlying tooth structure was exposed to the bacteria in your mouth. When you cemented the tooth back on, you cemented bacteria between your tooth and the crown. Your dentist will be able to properly disinfect the area before permanently re-cementing your crown.
Conclusion
If your crown does fall off, remember that you need to get to your dentist as soon as possible. Don’t put it back on and then neglect going to visit your dentist. You could infect the tooth and in the worst case scenario you may need to have the tooth extracted a few years down the line.
If your temporary crown comes off, you can re-cement it according to the above procedure. Your dentist will probably still have you come in for your originally scheduled appointment to have your permanent crown cemented.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!
HI,
My son had crowns put on his two front teeth March 2009. Today 1 crown fell off and it seems that part of his decayed tooth is inside. How do dentists usually fix this? Is it likely it can be repaired or will it likely be pulled?
Hi Lisa –
I am sorry to hear that the crown is already failing after such a short time. Sometimes crowns don’t have a very good seal around the tooth and can leak. This allows bacteria to get under the crown. Before you know it, there is decay underneath the crown that is impossible to clean out with a toothbrush.
If it is a baby tooth and it is badly decayed, it will probably need to be pulled so that the decay doesn’t cause an infection under the gums that would jeopardize the health of the permanent tooth underneath it.
If it is a permanent tooth, then the dentist will be more concerned about saving it. If only a small amount of decayed tooth fell off, then the dentist will probably be able to remove the rest of the decay and build the tooth back up so that a crown can be placed. In all honesty, it depends on how much decay the tooth has. If it has spread down into the pulp, then the dentist will have to do a root canal and then build it back up and put a new crown on it.
Usually the dentist is able to save permanent teeth that get decay under the crown. The dentist may have to remove some of the gums and bone around the tooth to expose more solid tooth structure on which to place a new crown. That is a procedure known as crown lengthening.
Let me know if that answers your question. Thanks for the comment, and good luck getting your son’s teeth back in good shape.
Hi. I cant see where to ask you a question. My 3 year old had four caps put on in April this year. He tell tonight and the front tooth on the top is a cap and is now extremely loose. Im so worried. Does this mean it knocked out the tooth inside and that why its wiggly and just didnt fall out? I am calling the dentist in the morning,but im wondering what the options are without knowing in hil it falls off complelety….and im worried he might choir or swallow it….
How does a 3 year old already have 4 caps? Do you just feed him a bunch of sugar without having him brush his teeth at all?
That’s rude. A child I know has horrible tooth decay due to multiple medications that he has to take due to organ transplants as a baby.
That is a very unnecessary comment. There are many reasons that this could happen. I see that you are looking at this site, so it must not be all rainbows and butterflies in your mouth as well.
My son has Treacher Collins syndrome where all of his teeth decayed within a month due to his condition. Keep your ignorance and lack of knowledge of kids conditions to yourself.
hi um my crown came off tonight and the tooth is black and a part of the tooth is left in the crown and there is something in the hole tooth like pink or something stuck inside i cant get it out i guess its part of the tooth when it was with the crown anyways i cant see a dentist tonight due to how late it is and how less money we have also the only thing i could do is see if i can get in tomorrow in the afternoon but yeah i cant put the crown back on cause i dont have any cement and i am worried it may get infected over night waht should i do and im scared to brush it cause i dont want to hurt it at all please respond to me quickly thanks
Thank you,
That helps a lot in understanding the process of fixing his front tooth. It is a baby tooth. Quite a big part of his tooth fell off with the cown. What is left is a small triangle shape now. It is a liitle bigger at the back than at the front.
I thought we were good parents until this.. we read every day, play, feed healthy food, never pop or candy.. we made two mistakes.. we brushed his teeth with baby-toothpaste without flouride and we mixed water with 100% uice thinking that was fine.. I think he must also have soft teeth, never the less, now we have a difficult situation and I’m very worried for his teeth health. He is almost 4 now so he needs to wait at least 2 years till his grown up teeth come in.
Are you a dentist? We do not live where our orthadontist is so she cannot fix it. We need to go to Edmonton, Canada. It is a big enough city.. We have a flight leaving Canada on July 5th so have little time to get to the dentist. Is it usually easy or difficult to find a dentist who can do this emergency job before we leave?
Hi Lisa – If it is pretty badly decayed, then the dentist will probably take it out. Dentists usually put crowns on baby teeth when they are pretty badly broken down. Once the crown fails, depending on the amount of new decay that has developed, the dentist will either have to extract the tooth or try to remove the decay and put on another crown if there is enough tooth left to support it. If you end up having to get the tooth removed, the dentist can make a small replacement denture tooth to replace the lost one until the permanent tooth comes in.
You can generally use fluoride toothpaste sometime around age 3. Our son learned how to spit out the toothpaste around 2 1/2 and now he uses fluoride toothpaste. Too much juice can be a problem for kids’ teeth, especially if it is given before bedtime.
Don’t worry though, you sound like a great parent if you’re trying to get this taken care of. There are many parents who don’t even try to limit their child’s sugar intake and who don’t take brushing their child’s teeth seriously, so don’t beat yourself up! There are many factors, some of which are out of your control, that can affect a child’s risk for getting cavities.
I’m a dental student in the United States. I just finished my second year of dental school last week; I’ve got two more years to go.
Hopefully there’s enough tooth left to try putting a new crown on. Good luck!
Thank you so much,
I have never heard of a denture tooth replacement. This information is very helpful. I will definately request this if the dentist says they will need to pull the tooth out. For one, the adult tooth may not know where to grow in without a tooth there and secondly, it looks much better than a big gap, oh and thirdly, he can speak better with two front teeth (esp. for 2 years)!
I was very scared. Now I’m less scared.
This makes me feel so much better knowing there is something else they can do. I have a 2yr old little boy and it is a fight everynight. He had to have 4 top crowns on the front, I’m not an expert but have we had his crowns he could fight me all he wanted to we were brushing his teeth. Well he has lost one crown twice and on the other side once. They keep falling out, he don’t eat hard or chewy things. Is this normal
wht to do if not enough tooth torecement the crowwn
Hi,
I have a crown on one of my premolars, it so happens that a few days ago i noticed it had become loose, i thought the crown was becoming detached to the post so i figured i’ll just get temorary cement at the local pharmacy store and try to recement it till i can see my dentist, but to my surprise as i was eating dinner i felt the crown in my mouth so i took it out and looked at it and noticed the the post and some of the tooth was still intacted with the crown. What do you think can be done now that part of the tooth structure supprting the post and core is no longer there. Is crown lenghtening an considerable option? Please help.
Hi Mily – Without seeing the crown, I can’t tell you exactly what happened. My guess is that the crown came out with the post and core, not part of the tooth. The dentist put a post in the root of your tooth, then built the tooth back up with a composite core material, and then attached the crown to the top of that. I’m guessing that those three components all separated from your tooth.
If, in fact, part of your tooth did come off, it probably had developed a cavity and was getting weaker. In that case, whether or not crown lengthening can be done would depend on how much tooth came off and on the health of your gums and supporting bone around your tooth.
I hope that helps! Feel free to leave another comment if I need to clarify something. Thanks for commenting!
I have also lost a cap caused by a broken tooth under the cap. I have had a root canal on that same tooth. My dentist has recommended having the tooth pulled, along with the adjacent wisdom tooth. What are my options? What would be the negative to leaving the tooth as is? Ther is no,pain from the missing cap.
Hello,
I had a root canal on two of my molars during the summer of 2008, and since then the crown on one of them came out this June and a dentist recemented it into place then, and yesterday, the same crown fell out again. I don’t have any pain and it isn’t bothering me, so can I just leave the crown off? I don’t have insurance and I think it was going to cost around $1,500 to have a new crown which I cannot pay now, and I don’t see the point in having it recemented every couple of months. Any advice?
Thanks,
Maggie
Hi Maggie – I would ask your dentist why it keeps falling off. Maybe there was a problem in the manufacturing of the crown, maybe you’re developing a cavity around the crown-tooth interface, or maybe the crown just doesn’t fit right so that is why it keeps coming off.
Chances are that your crown isn’t fitting very well and that bacteria are getting underneath your crown. If they infect the tooth you won’t feel it until it’s too late since you are missing the nerve in that tooth due to the root canal.
Once you and your dentist address the issue of why it is falling off, then you’ll be able to figure out what to do next. I hope that helps! Sorry I can’t be too specific since I haven’t seen your mouth or the crown. Good luck!
what do you mean by it would be too late?
Hi Lou – I meant that without a nerve in the tooth, the tooth could decay a lot and the person may not feel any pain until the tooth is so far decayed that the only option is to have it extracted. I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment!
Hello,
I had a crown put on about 2 years ago in hopes to avoid a root canal. I already had another crown on the other side of my mouth on a different molar and it has felt different from the get go. I had two different dentists do my crowns. Well, the crown that was put on 2 years ago just came off. My tooth underneath looks black and the gums are swollen around the area. From the time that it was put in you could always see the silver on the bottom of the crown right at my gum line. I found this odd because my other crown that I have had for 9 years never did that. Could you please give me your opinion on this. Thanks.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that as I am drinking water, my tooth is hurting where the crown was.
Hi Mary – since the tooth is black, my guess is that some bacteria got under the crown and caused a cavity. As for your swollen gums, perhaps the bacteria are irritating them. This could be due to the crown not fitting correctly, which let bacteria from your mouth leak in between the crown and the tooth. It could also be that it was harder for you to floss down near the gum-line with the crown and the bacteria gradually grew down there and irritated the gums and your tooth.
Without seeing you in person, it’s hard to let you know what happened. I would go to a dentist that you trust and ask him to figure out what went wrong.
As for the silver line, that is just a different way to design the crown. By having the metal contact the tooth, your dentist was probably hoping to have a better seal between the crown and tooth.
I hope that helps! I would get into your dentist though because it sounds like the your pulp is getting irritated whenever you eat or drink. I hope everything goes well with your tooth!
Look! It’s a day before Thanksgiving and my crown fell out tonight. Its been on about 3 years. The tooth under it had been filled too many times. I had a root canal and it was grinded down. I’ve never had any issues with it.
So now, it’s off – and I doubt I’ll get in for a few days. A friend of mine that works in a dental office said to get Temporary Cement to put in so that nothing “shifts” in my wait to see my dentist. Would you agree?
Also, the tooth is very small, yet it’s black. I’m wondering if thats because something is wrong like bacteria got in OR from the crown. My crown inside is sliver too, metal like – of course with a white coating on it to make it look like my teeth. Could that be why it’s discolored?
I”m fearful of pain, but if I had a root canal – all should be dead right? What do I expect at my Dentist visit?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Dawn – Things like this always happen right before a big holiday! I think your best bet would be to get some temporary cement. You can look on Amazon to see which one has the best reviews. If I remember right, some brands work great and others don’t really work at all. Sadly, I don’t think Rite-Aid, CVS, or Walgreens will have any Black Friday sales on temporary crown cement 🙁
Teeth do tend to shift into spaces in our mouths, so it’s a good idea to get it back in there as soon as possible. You can read the section “Why Teeth Move” of this article about space maintainers to learn more.
The tooth could be discolored due to the metal or perhaps bacteria leaked between the crown and tooth and caused another cavity. Your dentist will be able to tell you for sure.
The tooth should be dead since you had a root canal. The only pain you could experience from the tooth would be right around the tooth with the ligament that holds it to the bone or with your gums.
At the dental visit, your dentist will want to find out why the crown fell off – there’s no point in cementing it back on if it will just fall off again. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get it cemented back on without a problem. There is a chance that bacteria got under there and caused another cavity, in which case you might have to get that taken care of first.
Good luck getting it back on, and have a great Thanksgiving!
Hi Tom,
My toddler she is 3 years old and today her crown fell off while at the babysitter’s house. I love my kid’s dentist, however I want to know why is her crown keep falling off. She had two crown on tooth D and E. She got the crowns on August 2010. Ok so far on tooth E, her crown has fallen 3 times!!! and I could never find the crown, so its a new one every time. Today on tooth D the crown fell off for the first time. Now the dentist told me this happens because she either falls and hits herself or eats hard candy or something that’s hard to bite. Well my toddler hardly eats candy, she honestly loves fruit and I do admit she plays rough a lot, she is a very active child that falls a lot but does not cry- she’s a tom boy. Is this Dentist BSIng me, doing it on purpose so I keep going and paying more money. lol Tomorrow in the morning I am going to call another dentist and ask him. I don’t pay a lot for it- but its 75 bucks, and if this is going to happen every time until she gets her teeth, then I dont know. Thanks for the help, and thank God I found this blog; there is not that much information out there online that I was able to find.
Hi Brenda – I’m sorry that her crown keeps falling off! For the other people reading this, tooth E is the front right central incisor, and tooth D is the one right next to it – so these are crowns that everyone can see when Brenda’s daughter smiles.
To be honest, I don’t have much experience with pediatric dental crowns. I was going to do my first one, but the parents decided they didn’t want a crown, so I still haven’t done a crown on a child yet. I do know that there are different types of cements that we use to put crowns on teeth. You could try and see if your dentist has another type of cement that will hold the crown on. I have a 3 year old as well, so I know that they can do some pretty daring things – my son has hit his mouth many times! If you are able to slow her down a bit and make sure she’s not chewing anything sticky, hopefully that will help the crown hold on to the tooth until it falls out.
I hope your dentist isn’t just bringing you back to make $75 each visit – I’m sure that would drive him out of business pretty fast!
I hope that helps. If you have any other questions, let me know. Thanks for your comment!
Hi I have had 2 temporary caps on now for the past 7 years. I was supposed to get the permanents put on, and they were made for me, while I was in the Marines. Then when I was getting discharged we went to Iraq and I came back and then I was released from my duty, but it messed up my ability to have the permanents put on. Now I am a civilian and am in college. I still have the temps and need to put the permanents on, just afraid it will cost allot to have it done. Recently one of my temps came off while chewing a pretzel. This morning though it felt loose, and then when I bit on the pretzel it popped off. So obviously I need to get this fixed, whats the best way to have this done, and how much does it cost to get the permanent caps done and made, at a new dentist, thank you!
Hi Daniel – At my dental school, we charge right around $600 for a crown. This includes cutting the tooth that will get the crown. Since your teeth have already been prepared to get crowns, all that your new dentist will have to do (ideally) is take an impression, send it to the lab, get the crown back, and make sure everything fits right. You might be able to find a dentist who will do that for a cheaper price since your teeth are already prepared for the crowns. That’s the best case scenario.
The main problem with what I wrote above is that temporary crowns are usually made to last for weeks, not years. It’s very possible that over the last 7 years, bacteria have gotten underneath the temporary crowns and caused more tooth decay. In that case, you will be looking at a much higher fee as the dentist will have to remove the tooth decay, build the tooth back up, and then get a crown on it.
I hope it all works out, and that you can get some permanent crowns on your teeth. If you have any other questions, let me know. Thanks for your comment, Daniel.
Thank you Tom,
Your suggestions were spot on, I talked to a dentist I knew, and he cemented it back on for $75 as you had mentioned before it would cost. To get the permanents crowns, I have told my dentist once my dental insurance goes through, I will call him and he said he will then make the crowns, and outfit me with my new smile, and possible braces if I need them, my teeth have shifted over the years, so he said that may be a good thing, given the amount of coverage I am able to have to cover the procedures.
Hi Daniel – I’m glad you got the crowns back on. It’s always good to hear how the story ends! Hopefully you’re insurance will work out and you’ll be able to get a stronger, more permanent solution for your teeth.
Thanks for the follow-up comment, Daniel.
I had a crown put on 18 months ago. I noticed a darkening at the top of my crown about 5 months ago. This week while away on vacation the front of my crown fell off. I noticed my tooth had a sticky black substance in areas… I temporarliy glued the face of the crown back on…. as I was due to fly home that next day . The earliest I can see my dentist is in 6 days. Is it OK to wait this long? … or should I try to find an earlier appointment with another dentist? My tooth is painless at this time. Thanks
Hi Cynthia – If you talked with your dentist’s office and they didn’t think it was necessary to see you for six more days, I would think that it’s fine. It sounds like you may have a cavity that developed under your crown. Since it’s not hurting, that means that the cavity probably isn’t too deep and I doubt that it will progress very much further in six days.
Since I don’t know the history of this tooth, I can’t give you a very clear answer. If you’re concerned, it’s best to call your dentist to make sure that there aren’t any problems that you need to be aware of.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Cynthia!
Hi Tom,
Thank goodness for this website!!
Tonight, while biting into a piece of bread, the crown on my right front upper tooth fell off. All that is left in my mouth is what looks like a baby tooth…just like in the picture at the top of your article. The crown fits back on and the remaining tooth looks healthy, no darkening or anything. I just sent my husband to the pharmacy for some tooth cement and am waiting for my dentist to call me back.
There is just one complication…a small piece of the crown broke off from the rest of the crown. What would cause this to happen? And should I cement that piece back to the crown before applying the temporary cement to my remaining tooth?
I understand what you’ve said about crowns not being properly sealed…and to be honest, this tooth has felt funny since the day the crown was applied. It was sensitive whenever I bit down on anything. But what would cause a piece of it to crack and fall off like that? It has only been 2 years and 3 months since I had these 2 crowns and 2 veneers placed on my 4 upper front teeth.
Thank you so much for your insight and time!
Sincerely,
Jen
Hi Jen – That’s too bad that your crown broke after such a short time. Since you said that your tooth had been sensitive ever since you got the crown, my guess is that the crown may have been a little bit too big, which could cause the same symptoms that you get when you have a high filling.
If the crown was slightly high, it would not only put pressure on your natural tooth that the crown is attached to, but it would put extra pressure on the crown, which over many months can cause it to fracture. Since your tooth looks good underneath, chances are that you had a pretty good seal between the crown and the tooth.
If I were you, I would probably get in to see my dentist ASAP and only re-cement the crown if my tooth was sensitive. If you try to cement the broken piece onto your crown, it probably won’t get attached very well (if at all) and could end up falling off and then you would risk swallowing it (or worse, breathing it in!)
I hope that helps, Jen. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Tom,
I have a crown on upper teeth right beside front tooth. It has come out once before and cemented back for 75.00 My tooth is a permanant crown but i never had permanant cement put on due to the fact that i intended on bleaching my real teeth to match the crowns i have. three to be exact. they were made a bit lighter on perpose. Now my dilema, So cliche’ but i was eating a biece of chicken and i bit down on a bone and herd a noise and felt pressure on my crown! my first reaction was to run and look in the mirror to see if i was snaggle toothed in the FRONT of my mouth and if my 1,000.00 crown was gone. it is still there and now protruding outward and shifted leaving a gap and its real ugly and embarrassing! it feels tight with a little pressure and pain.what could cause it to move into a different position ,yet still be tight? i am extremely obese and my teeth mean everything to me ! i am unemployed ,no ins and can’t get a new crown. do you think it’s broken or do u think they could pull it out and reposition into place. ps. The permanant cement was not used incase i bleached too high of a white and the face of the crowns needed to be changed, which i never did anyway. This crown is gorgeous and makes me feel pretty so any good advice would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!
Hi Renee – I’m not sure what would cause it to come off part way and still be tight. Loose crowns can be dangerous though since you may be at risk for breathing it in. It would be best to get to a dentist at least for a consultation and see what’s going on with your tooth. Thanks for your comment!
Hey
My upper tooth towards the back next to my fang tooth not sure what its called , had a root canal done to it in 2002, which was then fixed with a permanent cap. Last week I bit into a starburst and out came the cap after 9yrs. My dentist could not see me for about a month so I went to another dentist tonight after having it off for 4 days, they said that the tooth that is left is dead and decayed and needs to be removed and then i need a bridge or implant. Of course this will cost $4000 .
My question is if I have it removed do I have to have a bridge put in which is cheaper or can I leave the space there. Or at least how long can I leave the space there?
Thanks
Lauren
Hi Lauren – Anytime you remove a tooth from your mouth, the teeth around it will begin moving in to fill in the space. You can read this article on space maintainers to learn more about this process.
I am not sure on exact times, but I remember asking one of my instructors about a patient who needed a tooth removed and won’t be able to afford an implant for about six months and my instructor said that the teeth wouldn’t move too much during that time and it would be alright.
The bottom line is that the longer you wait to get a tooth put in to fill in the missing space (whether a bridge or implant), the more the teeth will shift into the empty space.
I hope that helps – I wish I had more solid numbers for you, Lauren. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
ok so i had tooth removed 2 weeks ago i am still having pain in socket I know its dry socket due to the pain but where the tooth is upper right next to fang tooth its impossible not to eat and have food ect get in the way the tooth next to it is black and will be filled in 2 weeks but im afraid it is decaying nd may need a root canal .is it possible this pain im feeling is actually the tooth that is decaying next to it like a toothache or does it take a while for an extraction to heal, I need to take pain meds daily to be able to sleep.
Hi Lauren – Dry socket is much more common in the lower jaw than the upper jaw, but it does still happen in the upper jaw.
It is possible that the tooth next to the one that was extracted is causing the problem since it has a large cavity. When we take teeth out at my dental school, we include a possible “post-op” visit as part of our service. I would assume that the dental office that did your extraction would be able to take a look at the extraction site and let you know if there is a problem.
I hope that helps, Lauren. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi,
I just had some crowns cemented in a week ago. One has just fallen off while flossing tonight. The weird thing is I barely put any pressure on it with the floss. The really weird thing is these are permanent crowns. Is this normal for a crown to just fall off? My tooth does not look broken in any way. The crown is completely hollow, and the tooth is still in my mouth fully intact. Is it possible that they did not get a good bond during cementing or something? I had 6 crowns done on my front top teeth. When the dentist cemented them in, I was told to bite down for a while so the cement can set. Is it possible that while biting down, because the way my teeth are, some of them, such as maybe this one that fell out, don’t really contact the bottom teeth as well as the other ones, so maybe no pressure was actually getting applied to this one tooth?
This has me very worried. I plan to see the dentist in the morning, but I kind of wanted more than one opinion on why this might happen. I
Thanks,
Spencer
Hi Spencer – Crowns can fall off for various reasons. Since it fell off so quickly, it could be that the crown wasn’t seated all of the way on the tooth when it was cemented. As you said, there may not have been any pressure pushing the crown onto the tooth while the cement was setting. Another reason that it fell off so quickly could be that there’s not very much tooth structure available to hold onto the crown. The cement also may have gotten contaminated with some of your saliva while it was being cemented.
Hopefully it will stay on for good after your appointment today! Did those possibilities match up with the reasons that your dentist gave you of why it could have come off so quickly? You have me curious – Thanks for your comment, Spencer.
I had an old crown that I had put on when I was 19…Im now 39…my husband has really good dental insurance so I decided to replace my old crown in the front with something newer..more real looking….the dentist put a temporary crown on there and we r waiting for the lab to get my permanent crown done..the called to cancel my appointment saying my permanent crown was not done and that very same night my temporary crown came off while eating dinner…I was horrified….called my dentist emergency number where I was sent to another dentists number who the had a recording telling me to call another number at which a child was on a answering machine I left a message this wad at five thirty and did not receive a call back until eight forty five from another dentist not my own….why told ne to meet him in the morning to put it back on….when I arrive know one is really sure why they are covering for my dentist the receptionist calls my dentist office they answer she asks off there open let’s her know Im there at there office puts me on the phone and needless to say Im very angry I drive over there and my dentist informs me he went on vacation last week and forgot to switch his answering machine back…he glued it back on and I have an appointment in four days to get my permanent one cemented in…Im so very terrified that it Will fall off ….my last one was on for nineteen years Im starting to feel like I should have just left it alone but I wanted it to look better…so do you think after it is cemented in it Will be ok…any suggestions on what I can say to the dentist…I don’t want to treat him like he’s not doing his job right Im just very angry that my temporary one fell off I feel like he should have told me to come in anyway so he could check the temporary one beings they canceled my appointment because the lab said my permanent was not ready….also my husband had an appointment and the scheduled someone else in his appointment because we did not return there call to confirm his appointment…I would understand kind of if we had ever missed an appointment but that is not the case…I just feel like Im not being treated right?….and that makes me concerned for my teeth…..am I over reacting??….any advice I would appreciate!
I have a crown on my back molar, and when I was getting a crown put on the tooth in front of it, the back crown popped off. Turns out that the back tooth was decaying underneath because the dentist didnt clean it all the way. Now i cant have anything hot or cold on the tooth due to the server pain it will cause in my mouth. I have had to deal with the crown and the decaying tooth underneath for about two years and today it started hurting really bad. Im afraid that the crown will come off very soon and my mother will NOT take me to the dentist no matter how much I am in pain. She will tell me to take an ibuprofin and everything will be fine. But theres only so much a pain killer will do till the pain comes back again. Does anyone know what I should do, because on top of that, I have a wisdom tooth coming in as well on the opposite side of my mouth that keeps bleeding. If you have any advice, please let me know.
Thank you very much for listening.
Hi Ashton – Ibuprofen only covers up the true problem, which may very well be an infection in the bone around your tooth. With the problems you are having, it sounds like you really need to see a dentist to see what can be done to return you to excellent oral health. I hope that helps, Ashton. Let me know if you have any other questions. thanks for your comment!
Hello, Tom. About three weeks ago, one of my crowns on the left side of my mouth became loose after chewing gum. I have no insurance, so I just pushed down on the crown trying to see if it would “fit” back in. I’ve had this crown for about 4 years now. The big problem is that my breath is horrid! Everytime I touch the crowned tooth with my tongue, I get a disgusting smell that protrudes from it. I stopped eating food on that side ever since the crown had loosened. This is a permanent crown and I’ve decided to go and get it resealed. Can you tell me why my breath smells bad? I believe it’s because of the loosening of the crown. I’ve never ha bad breath and I always brush and floss. Thanks a lot!
Hi Abdur – I am guessing that there is a cavity underneath the crown, which is why it loosened. The bacteria that builds up under there can have a pretty bad smell. I would go to your dentist and see what’s going on – hopefully everything works out alright.
When a crown loosens, it usually means that even if you push it back down, it won’t “stick” because the cement has already been compromised.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
I just had a temporary crown put on my back molar. This evening, a part of it chipped off while eating. I did not find the piece that chipped, but it didn’t seem to be the entire crown. I’m not scheduled to get the permanent crown for another few weeks. I’m not in any pain. Will this require a trip to the dentist sooner or is it ok to wait? What would cause it to chip?
Hi Amy – It’s always a good idea to call your dentist just to be safe. If it was a very small part that chipped, then a visit may not be necessary. If a large part of the crown chipped off and left some tooth exposed, your dentist may want to make a new crown to protect the underlying tooth structure (we don’t want that to change because the permanent crown comes back from the lab custom-fit to your shaved down tooth!)
The crown could chip if the crown was slightly high, if the crown was thin in a certain spot, if it had an air bubble in it or was structurally weakened for some other reason.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Amy. Good luck with your crown!
Hi-
Like everyone else I am so glad I found this website. Here is my question. I had a permanent crown fall off today, and I think I put it in the wrong way. Do I need to take it out and try again? I can, but it is slippery little thing and just doesn’t seem to fit the right way. It’s molar by the way (I suppose it would have to be, can you get crowns on none molars?) Also this is about say the fourth time this year a crown that my current dentist has put on has fallen off. I think it is the second time for this crown has fallen off (although it was 2010 the last time it did) the other three times were the same tooth but on the other side of my mouth. I am not really eating anything that sticky usually. Should be asking the dentist any specific questions or I suppose looking for a new one (dentist). I like this guy a lot and he really is good with nervous patients like me, but sometimes his hygienist’s advice is odd. For example, when I had a temporary crown on back in December, they told me to brush and floss normally, but when I did that, the temporary would fall off. I had that temporary for a variety of reason almost two month and it came off every two weeks if not more often like clockwork. Anyway that was way off topic, my real question is about the crown. I have dentist appointment on Thursday, so should I leave the crown on even if it is on the wrong way or do I try to put it on correctly?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah – If the crown keeps falling off with the dentist’s cement, chances are that you won’t be able to get it to stay on very long with the store-bought temporary cement. If you feel like you can’t get it on right, it’s probably not worth the risk of possibly swallowing the crown (or even choking on it) to get it back on.
In this situation, it’s probably best to ask your dentist what you should do since he has a better idea as to what the crown and tooth look like and what the overall condition of the tooth is.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Sarah!
Three days ago, my husband bit into something and his front tooth fell out. He believes it was a crown that was put on when he was in the military. His teeth are in bad shape and we went to a dentist to get it fixed. She told us that either he would have to get dentures or have a full mouth reconstruction. They quoted us 40k for a full reconstruction. I honestly don’t know who could pay that.
I am looking for second opinions and was wondering if I should be looking for someone who is a general dentist or a specialist. BTW my husband’s 30 and not looking the denture route.
Hi Jenn – If your husband isn’t interested in the dentures, the dental specialist that would be best able to treat him is a prosthodontist. You can find a prosthodontist here. If he is getting a lot of work done, you may be able to negotiate on price depending on the economy where you live.
I hope that helps, Jenn. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
One more thought, Jenn. If you live near a dental school you could call to see if they have a prosthodontic clinic. The cost is usually much cheaper than private practice and you will have students that are already dentists (they are working toward becoming prosthodontists) working with you.
I got a root canal done 10 years ago in NY on my 2nd to last lower left molar and had a crown put on. I’ve now since moved to California and more recently, my crown popped off so I went to go get it re-cemented by a new dentist in my neighborhood. 1 month later, my crown popped off again, this time along with my post and part of my tooth that’s attached to it. The tooth inside was hollow and a part of the outer edge chipped off. And now it seems a part of my gums are slowly pushing/growing into the cracked area. I have no pain since I’ve had a root canal in that tooth. I went to go back to the dentist in my neighborhood and she told me that she could not put the post/tooth back in, so instead she put a piece of a cotton ball in the hollow area and re-cemented the crown back on. Is what she did OK? And she advised me I should extract my tooth and get an implant. Is she accurate in that I must extract my dead tooth and get an implant? I’m not sure if I should go back to her to re-cement the crown again? Would greatly appreciate your advice!
Hi Katherine – Your dentist probably did what she felt was best for you considering how little tooth structure is probably remaining of your tooth. The reason that we put posts in teeth is because there isn’t much tooth structure to hold onto the crown and we try to build the tooth up by anchoring it into the root with the post. Since the crown fell off, there’s a good chance that you have even less tooth structure remaining than you did when you got the crown originally.
You may want to get a second opinion to talk about options for replacing this tooth (bridge vs. implant), but it does sound like this tooth is reaching the end of its useful life. I hope that helps, Katherine. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Tom! Thanks so much for your reply, I greatly appreciate it. So, what’s the major difference between getting a bridge vs. an implant? What would be better for the long run? What would be the price difference? Is one more durable than the other?
Hi Katherine – With a bridge, the two adjacent teeth are shaved down and then two crowns are put on those teeth with a false tooth attached to them to fill in the are where the tooth is missing. With an implant, a titanium rod is placed into the bone, and then a false tooth is attached to that. The implant is generally considered more conservative since you don’t have to shave down the two adjacent teeth. Also, if everything goes well with the implant, it will usually last longer than the bridge.
At my dental school, the 3-unit bridge would cost about $1500 and the implant would cost around $2200. We are usually charge 50-70% of the price of getting work done in a private practice.
Here’s a video on Youtube to illustrate the differences between an implant and a bridge. I hope that helps, Katherine. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Tom. I am so glad you are willing to take the time to share your educated opinions with us!
Like Katherine above, I have had a root canal & a crown. Now the tooth (#8, front right) is dead and the crown fell off. The Dentist tried to save the remaining tooth & cement the crown back on, but I had “a reaction to the cement” & it didn’t take. A Bridge or Implant was my only options. After much research, I’ve opted for the implant. Unfortunately when impressions of my mouth were made the tooth/crown pulled out. It was already falling out, since the cement wasn’t holding. After attempting to re-cement it, it fell out again! Once more it was pushed in & I left the dentist office looking silly. My tooth/crown was visibly lower than the other front tooth & protrudes. I cannot eat, speak or smile. The tooth is extremely loose and feels like it will fall out at any minute.
Since I will not get to see my dentist for another 32 hrs (when I get my stayplate attached), what does one do when the crown falls out & the tooth is already dead? Can I pack the socket with cotton balls? I anxiously await your reply. Thank you kindly!
Hi Lisa – I can’t think of anything to temporarily make it look like you have a tooth there. It seems like cotton balls would be a lot whiter than the natural shade of teeth. Did you end up finding anything that worked?
I wish I could be of more help. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Lisa!
I so need advice from someone. I have a dentist that I truly think the world of. But for the past few months I’ve been frustrated, and I know he has too. It started with getting 3 caps on both sides of the upper mouth. So a total of 6 caps. Everything was fine for about 3 days, then lots of pain. He took xrays, and all was fine. Did lots of grinding to try to get the bite right. Ended up I guess with not enough bite, because then my jaw was so fatigued, it felt like I had been chewing gum 24/7. Said he need to put more support for the bottom jaw. Put some acrylic on bottom teeth for a coupld of weeks so we could see if that would help with the bite. Jaw wasn’t as fatigued anymore, but still wasn’t 100% with the bite. Ended up doing 2 crowns and a veneer on the one side on the bottom and 3 weeks later, did the same to the other side. My bite is still off. I have invested to much money in all of this, and I’m at a loss. I don’t have the money to redo all this work. My teeth felt so much better, before all this work. The caps were to help keep my teeth strong, since I have weak teeth. Now my mouth is a mess. At this point, I feel like getting them pulled and get dentures, because that’s my only option at this time, but I DON’T really want them. But like I said I don’t have the finance’s to have this done again. Was told I have a sensitive bite, whatever that means. Who would I go to, to MAYBE get this fixed without costing a fortune. Or is there something else, that my dentist could do to get it fixed? Thank you for your time.
Hi Marie – I’m not sure what a “sensitive bite” is. If anybody’s bite is off, they will probably notice! If I were you, I would probably go to a prosthodontist. They specialize in things like crowns, bridges, dentures, and your bite. You can find a prosthodontist through this link.
They could at least do an exam and give you a good idea of what is causing the problem and they might see something that your current dentist hasn’t. I know you’re frustrated with your teeth, but having your natural teeth is much better than getting dentures. Hopefully you can get to the bottom of what is causing your discomfort.
I hope that helps, Marie. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for your reply. I know I will stick with my dentist, unless he tells me to leave. He’s great, and my teeth look great. It’s just my teeth aren’t wanting to cooperate. The bite is off, and he’s tried, and I don’t know what else he could do. Like I said, I really don’t want to go to anyone else. So I will see sometime this week or next, if he has any other suggestions. Would it be possible to take the cerac caps off and do it the old fashioned way? Temps until the ones from the lab came in? Or is it to late to do it that way? Just wondering, cause I never had problems with caps that way. Thanks.
Hi Marie – You could ask your dentist if he would be willing to do it that way. Most labs charge over a hundred dollars to manufacture crowns, so your dentist may want you to pay that fee. The best way to find out is to talk with him about your situation. Hopefully everything gets worked out and your teeth stop bugging you.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Marie!
Hello, I have already gone back once to have my temporary crown re-attached. It came off again and I suspect this will be a regular occurrence. The crown also hurts but the dentist does not seem to care and he told me the pain will subside. Well, the pain has not subsided. So now that the crown is out, I am wondering if I can do without it until I get my permanent. I would like to just chew on the left side and after I eat, swish with warm SCOPE to get rid of the bacteria. I am afraid that at night, I might swallow the darn thing.
I am scheduled to get my permanent crown in 3 weeks. Your thoughts?
Doug
Hi Doug – I would call your dentist and see what their thoughts are. If there was a crack in the tooth, it’s probably not a good idea to leave it open to all of the bacteria in your mouth.
P.S. All I had was a small crack in my tooth; one that they missed the first time they looked at my x-ray. Yet the dentist wore my tooth down to a nub. Even with the crown on, I can’t bite down. The pain goes right through me. I told them this and they wore the temp crown down a bit but it did not work. I told them the reason; that if you put a band aid over a wound, you can protect the wound but if you press down on the band-aid it will still hurt. Now the fake tooth (crown) presses down on the tooth they wore down to a nub and OUCH! I am afraid the full crown will cause the same pain yet, nobody in this office will listen to me.Okay they listen but, I am given platitudes. “It will be okay”.
Hi Doug – Was the crack removed when the tooth was prepared for a crown? Have they done a root canal on the tooth? If it ends up needing a root canal, it would be best to get it done before the permanent crown is put on.
I hope that helps, Doug. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comments!
Hi. I just found your website/blog. I was at a nephew’s birthday party and my upper left side bridge fell out. It had been feeling really loose for several weeks. I am living in the south right now but am planning to move back to the Northeast where I had my dental work done in about 6 weeks. I know I can’t wait until then to get it put back in.
My question is, it is Friday night and I don’t have a dentist in this area. Is it ok to wait until Monday to find someone to do try to glue it back in? I know I have other dental problems but this is the most immediate.
Thanks, Jeanie
Hi Jeanie – It’s probably alright to wait until Monday. Most dentists would probably have you come in on Monday anyways since you’re not in pain and there’s no swelling. I hope the birthday party went well!
Good luck getting your bridge put back on.
I hope that helps, Jeanie. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Tom, very informational site. I had some temporary crowns put in my top two front teeth(incisors). Recently a piece on the back of one of the crowns chipped off while I was munching on some pizza. My dentist is in another town about 200 miles away. I because of work and other obligations I will not be able to go see my dentist for at least a month. I dont have insurance so I usually pay upon visits. Im supposed to get some permanents put in as soon as I have the money probably in about 2 months. My front teeth have been grinded down to prepare for the procedure. My concerns are the cement around the whole crown being compromised (causing the whole crown to come off) and leaving the back of my tooth exposed (basically the whole back of the tooth is exposed). How long can I go without seeing the dentist what can I do to ensure the tooth stays heathy. Can I brush the area? What foods should I stay away from? What will cause the rest of the glue holding the crown to come off?
I appreciate whatever advice you can give
Thanks
Hi Mike – When your teeth were prepared for crowns, the enamel was removed. Now that the temporary crown has chipped on the back, the dentin layer of the tooth is exposed. The dentin is much less resistant than the enamel is to getting cavities. Since it is exposed, you may feel more sensitivity on the tooth if it has not had a root canal done.
Also, it will be more difficult for you to clean since the temporary crown has fractured on the tongue side of the tooth. There’s not really a set amount of time that you can wait, as it will depend on the individual. Every day that goes by with the tooth unprotected can cause some harm to the tooth. If you’re keeping it clean, I doubt that very much (if any) damage will occur to the tooth. You can call your dentist to see what they recommend since there may be special considerations for those teeth depending on their history.
In any case, it would be a good idea to stay away from acidic foods, lots of sugary foods, and hard foods that could chip the remaining portion of the crown.
I hope that helps, Mike. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
You are doing a great service for all humanity for putting up this site (which is rare for young up-and-coming professionals). Basically I have never had a root canal on any of my teeth. Had some fillings on some of my back molars and wisdoms pulled out. Im getting porcelan/veener crowns put in my two front teeth to get rid of a small gap I had on my front teeth (think Anna Paquin from True Blood) never had any problems other than that. But its a one-piece crown, it covers over both my teeth. These things always seem to happen in the most inopportune times I have a big exam the last week of the month (bar license exam) that I just cannot take time to get away and spend a whole day driving and visiting the dentist until the begining of next month. How strong is the glue that holds the crowns? Is it like the krazy glue ads that has the guy hanging from a multi-story building? I doubt I will be able to get a hold of my dentist until Monday. Should I just brush the rest of my mouth and rinse out my front teeth with mouthwash? What kind of mouthwash you recommend? Its so awesome that people have someone to reach out to for issues such as these thanks again for whatever guidance you can provide.
Hi Mike – The permanent glue that we use to hold on the veneers would be extremely strong. If I was hanging from a tall building, I’d probably go with the crazy glue because the glue we use is made special for teeth, but it’s still pretty strong!
I’m assuming that the temporary crowns fell off of your front teeth? If so, it’s important to keep them clean and get to your dentist as soon as you can. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Mike!
Hi,
A crown I have had for only a few years just fell out today when I was eating. I have the crown and plan to call my dentist on Monday. My question is, shouldn’t the crown last a lot loner than this? I have about 5 crowns (bad enamel) and my dentist put them all in. I am worried that maybe they will all start to come out and I cannot afford to reaplce them as my inurance pays for a crown on each tooth every five years. I have not had this crown for 5 years. My last crown was in March and the tooth has been sensitive ever since. The dentist had to do that horrible gum burning thing and it has ner felt right since. I think my dentist is really nice but I am starting to worry about his skill. What do you think? How long should a crown last?
Hi Gayle – If a crown is well-cared for, they can last well over 10 years. I remember researching this topic about a year ago for a class, and I think most gold crowns lasted a lot longer (close to 20 years), but I can’t find the article.
A quick search of the research led me to this study that found crowns to last an average of a little over 8 years in their study group.
Your crown could have fallen out for various reasons. It might be able to simply be re-cemented back on.
I was busy with finals last week, so I’m sorry it took a bit longer to get back to you. Hopefully everything worked out at your dentist and you got it put back on.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions, Gayle.
Hello Tom!!
I had a crown put on a few years ago…which has ended up falling out once or twice and needed re-cementing on. Finally, the last time he looked at it he said I would need a post (he’s shaved away pretty much all of the tooth with the repeated cementing)…but it fell out and because it’s the very last tooth…it’s not bothering me at all. I haven’t made an appointment. Do I NEED to get the crown cemented back on? I barely have a tooth there, just basically a hole. What’s the worst that could happen with the hole/not getting the crown back on?
Thank you endlessly!!
-Sam
Hi Sam – In my view, the worst that could happen would be that you would get tooth decay around that tooth and it could go down and infect the root and cause an abscess. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of getting a post in the tooth, you could consider just getting it taken out so that it won’t get infected at some future point.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions, Sam.
Hello Tom! Thanks for this site it has been very interesting to read and i’m so impressed that you answer everyone! Good for you and even better for us 🙂 I apologize if this sounds frustrated, but i have currently spent thousands of dollars trying to fix my current problematic front tooth. Anywho, my crown fell off last night while eating, it is one of my top front teeth. It’s been less than a year since i have had the crown and i’ve taken really good care with it. I went to the dentist who put it on today and he said that some of my tooth has actually fallen off with the crown. No decay was present. I’m starting to think that this could be the dentist’s fault. Let me explain why i think this. I got the entire right side of my mouth redone with white fillings by this dentist two years ago. For a year i had horrible sensitivity and bite problems. It was awful. Finally i went to another dentist and had him redo the whole right side of my mouth. It’s been perfect since. Any subsequent work i’ve had done by this new dentist has been wonderful (I’ve had him redo many of the things this previous dentist has done). So, when i went back to my original dentist (who did my front crown) he said that this happens often when the tooth has a root canal. I understand that, however, it’s only been a year and when he put the crown on originally he shaved my tooth down to next to nothing. I’m not surprised that my tooth fell off with the crown because it was shocking how much he shaved off (it looked nothing like the picture at the top of this article). When he recemented my crown on he basically told me to not use that tooth ever and that when it falls out (basically no hope) he will put a new post in and try a new crown. is this guy trying to bleed me dry? With the tooth breaking, there is almost no current tooth structure left so why would he try a new post/crown instead of even mentioning an implant? Then after recementing it, he tried to charge me $125, to which i told him absolutely not! My main question is, does any of this sound concerning to you (relating to this dentist’s skill)? And if so, is there anything i can do, besides never letting him touch my mouth again, to receive compensation to replace this tooth? If my story sounds like just bad luck on a bad tooth please tell me, i don’t want to blame this dentist for all of my problems if that is the case. I’m just concerned because i’ve had problems with anything i’ve had him do. Again, thank you so much for your help. Best wishes.
P.S. Good luck on your final finals week!!! I’m currently in my last finals week for nursing school! Misery loves company 🙂
Thanks, Bradley. They went well, I hope yours went well too.
Hi Bradley – I’m glad you’ve found the site helpful! When the dentist originally did the crown, do you know why he had to shave the tooth down to next to nothing? Had it broken off in an accident, did it have a large cavity, etc.?
If the tooth already had a root canal and you didn’t have much tooth structure when he put the crown on originally, I do wonder why he didn’t go ahead and do a post and core before putting on the original crown, as that might have held everything together for you for longer than a year. Actually, now that I read over your comment again, I could be wrong. Did he originally put a post in your tooth before it was crowned?
If he did put it in originally, and he has to take it out and wants to put in another one, I would be willing to bet that this new post, core, and crown won’t last as long as the previous one since he has a lot less tooth structure to work with now than he did back then.
It does sound slightly concerning to me, especially given that he wanted to charge you for re-cementing a crown that he did only one year ago. That doesn’t sound like a good way to keep your patients happy! The only thing I’m not sure about is whether or not you originally had a lot of tooth structure missing or this dentist simply ground the tooth down too much when preparing it for the crown.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions, Bradley.
Thanks Tom!
He did put a post in the original crown. There was no physical damage to the tooth before he placed the crown. However, there had been a root canal done on that tooth two years previously (without a crown placed). There was no discomfort associated with the tooth, but the tooth had a black spot because there was no blood supply, so i put a crown on for cosmetic problems. when he shaved down my tooth originally, you could see it underneath the temporary crown so he just kept shaving and shaving.
Since this comment, my crown has fallen off again. I went back to him to temporarily cement my tooth again. As he did so he burned my lip (not too bad, but still!) when he was curing the cement. He said that he wants to do another post, shave my tooth out of the crown and try it all again. i think we both know it won’t last very long, but he wants to try it i guess.
Anyways, what are my options Tom? I’m thinking since it’s the cheapest option i will have a different dentist try the new post because i just don’t want this other dentist to do anything else. But then once my crown falls out after this new post doesn’t work, what are my options?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Bradley – You might try the post and core again, but I don’t know how long it would last. If I were you, I would try to get a second opinion and see if you have any other options with your tooth.
If it keeps failing, chances are that the tooth may need to come out. Your options then would be to get a bridge, an implant, or a partial denture to replace the missing tooth.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Bradley. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, I was flossing with a floss pick today and one of my old crowns popped off (this has happened before, on a different tooth, which I had recrowned). When the crown came off I smelled a bad smell, does this mean there is decay under the crown? Also, I rinsed out my mouth and the tooth is sensitive to the water, does that mean that it is still a live tooth and hasn’t had a root canal? I couldn’t remember if that one had a root canal or not. Anyway, I just lost my job and am moving across the country on Monday so have no insurance. Would it be best to use dental glue to glue the crown back in temporarily? I do intend to get it fixed but it might not be for a couple of weeks, and I’m not sure what to do. Oh by the way, I was able to pop it back in and it *feels* relatively stable but I’m afraid to eat on it and am afraid it might fall out in my sleep or something (I grind). The tooth underneath was pretty yellow, and had old silver fillings as well. Looked a mess. Thanks for any info -Meg
Hi Meg – If I had to guess, I would say that the bad smell makes me think that there is probably decay under the old crown, and that is why it came off. If you can still feel any sensations in that tooth, then that means that it most likely is still alive and has not had a root canal.
Ideally, your dentist would want to fit you in as soon as you could go in to prevent the decay from getting any deeper. The longer you wait, the higher the chance is that the tooth will need a root canal or that the decay will spread so far that the tooth may have to come out. Two weeks probably wouldn’t make much of a difference, but it’s hard to tell without knowing the exact condition of your tooth.
I hope that helps! Thanks for your comment, Meg. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you Tom, I really appreciate your advice! 🙂 -Meg
I don’t know how to message you to start a new message. I have a thick post my dentist tout in New York and he did build a core around it.
Now years later I am going to a dentist and getting my front four crowns replaced. (Upkeep I had others for 20 years) now I have temporaries on and the one front one came off tonight no big deal. I went to put it in til I get there Monday. Well the one w the big post she didn’t put any core buildup .
Now I don’t think I am wrong but wanted to ask.
Number one she should of done core build up so that the final crown will fit and stay secure.
Number 2 I don’t think it will stay secure just against a metal post (again it’s a thicker post.
Finally I need to mention she attempted to do all four in November I told her something was wrong and finally she saw it was and is now on the second time doing them over. I do acting and I am making sure my teeth are perfect .
So if she didn’t do a core buildup the first time that could be why it felt loose. ??
Hi! I’m very impressed you have taken the time to answer. My top right tooth behind my canine had a root canal done in 2009 and was just filled since I was pregnant at the time and they couldn’t get me numb (yep, 6/7 months pregnant & went through a root canal feeling every poke, prode & drill). Went back a year later & had more decay drilled out of it & a crown put on, but they used temp cement because I was having problems with an abcess and was afraid to permanently put it in. It came out today while eating. Didnt notice much of a smell or anything. Followed your earlier instructions on putting it back on with temp cement from the drug store. Prior to it falling off, you could see black/silver near my gumline as if the seal wasn’t there or you could see the cement as well as feel a dip or crevace in between my tooth & gumline. Could this be a poor fit?
Also, same tooth opposite side had a deep deep cavity but dentist said I barely didn’t need RTC. This was on the side of my tooth next to the molar beside it which ended up needing RTC and a crown (permanent cement). I have had the bite adjusted many many times and had the crown shaved down a bit so it wasn’t touching the filling beside it because I have high pain with this area if I try to floss in between the two or even chew on this side. So much pain that I literally cried when I tried flossing. Is there any explanation for this? Occasionally it will hurt and throb with so much pressure and pain that not even 800mg ibuprofen will do the trick. No abcess (I’ve had my fair share).
I also had fillings on my top four front teeth & the back/front of them where the filling were placed feel very rough and if you run your fingernail across them, actually catch and snag. These teeth are now more sensitive than they ever were before so much to the fact that breathing cooler air or talking in cooler air, causes major discomfort and sensitivity. Ever heard of that? Is poor dental work to blame?
I have had around 7-8 RTC, all 4 wisdom teeth cut out, have had two molars pulled, and have about 4-5 crowns. I floss and brush religiously and don’t eat junk. My body just attacks my teeth and I have no clue why! Thanks in advance!
Hi Brittani – The crown could have been coming loose, but I am guessing that the silver color was from the metal underneath the porcelain.
I’m not sure on an explanation for your pain, but your dentist should be able to provide you with one. I will be publishing an article next week regarding what exactly causes cavities. For now, you might find the following article helpful:
25 Things that Make You More Likely to Get Cavities.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Brittani. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I have had a crown on right front tooth for about three years now. This afternoon while eating I felt something shift. I wiggled the crown a bit and it popped off…in shock I quickly shoved it back on my tooth and it is now resting there. I’m not sure how much hold it has right now. I called my dentist and can not get in until the morning. The lady at the front desk (so not a dentist) suggested I take it off for the night so that I don’t swallow it. After reading some posts I am worried that my tooth with shift during the night and affect the replacement of my crown in the morning. Should I be concerned about this? I don’t want to put temporary glue on it if it is not needed.
Thanks for any help!
Hi Kara – It probably is a good idea to take it off for the night so that you don’t swallow it. I really doubt that your teeth would shift enough during the night that it would affect the re-seating of the crown by your dentist tomorrow. If I were you, I would just keep it off during the night and not cement it on with a temporary cement since you’ll be seeing your dentist tomorrow.
I hope that helps. Thanks for your comment, Kara! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Tom.. So I think my post and core is loosening and the soonest appointment i found is monday the 15th. I feel the movement of the tooth, but I can’t see it. I think it is loosening because I taste the salty taste and when i move my lips to the right I feel discomfort, but no pain though.
what can I do until the 15th, if by any-chance it falls? and what are my options in terms of not getting the tooth infected other than brushing, flossing and mouthwash? are there certain ingredients I need to look for to protect my self from infections?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Howard – Sorry it took so long to get back to you. August is our off month this year in dental school, so I’ve been doing some vacationing. You probably got everything figured out by now, but here’s some general guidelines.
If the post and core is loose, then it’s likely that the root canal area of the tooth has already been infected with bacteria from your saliva and there’s not much you can do except have the root canal re-done. Brushing, flossing, and mouthwash are certaily good options to keep the remaining tooth structure clean and free from another cavity.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Howard. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello there, well would like to thank you, and notify you that the dentist said that there was nothing but a small piece of food stuck between the crowns, which made the illusion of movement and had that debris taste.
thanks for everything
Hi Howard – I’ll bet you were relieved that it was only food! I’m glad you got it figured out. Thanks for the update!
Hi Tom,
Great website.
A crown fell off one of my lower teeth. The first tooth after the molars on the left side. It’s a small tooth and I have the crown that I assume is filled with what I can see as cement. The tooth that is left is small and white and I believe has the post sticking out. I think that the tooth may have slightly broken off however no pain due to a rootcanal.
I went to the dentist to get the crown resealed and all the dentist did was sashay into the office, looked at the xray then my tooth then back at the xray and said I needed a crown and sashayed out of the office.
My question is why didn’t he just reseal it than trying to charge me $1,200 after my insurance? Why can’t he clean the crown and refile if down and put back on the tooth. I felt that all he wanted was his Mercedes bill paid by me!
Hi Stephanie – Thanks!
If part of the tooth fractured, then the tooth may need to be built back up and then cut again to get a new crown. In similar situations at our dental school, we will usually put the crown back on temporarily, letting the patient know that it is only a temporary measure and that they will need to get a new crown somewhere down the road when they can afford it.
It may not have been possible to put your crown back on for different reasons – I don’t want to rush to judgment. In any case, if you feel like you’re not getting the attention that you are obviously paying for, then you may want to look into finding a new dentist.
I hope that helps, Stephanie. Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Well my front tooth fell off n i lost the tooth how much will it be to get a new tooth n put it on?
Hi Eva – If just the crown fell off, it would cost around $600 from a dental school, probably about $1000 in private practice. If the whole tooth fell out and you want to get an implant to replace the missing tooth, that can be anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000.
I hope that helps – let me know if you have any other questions, Eva.
Thanks Tom!
Hi…
I had a crown put on my back molar about 5 years ago. I was eatting some licorice just now and it fell off. When looking at it in the mirror it looks like there may be some decay near the gumline inbetween that tooth and the one in front of it. My question is if it is in fact decay and I need to get that taken care of before putting the crown back on…will I have to get a new crown($$$) or will they beable to fit the old one back on…which seems to be in great shape still?
Thanks!
Hi Az – Most likely they will need to make a new crown, because they need to get the decay removed and the new crown will have to extend further down toward the gumline. If you have the crown re-cemented with decay there, it will most likely continue to decay and get worse.
Tom,
Fantastic thread you’e got going here, very informative. I saw in your reply to Gayle on 7-23-11, you mention the study finding that crowns last an average of 8 years. My question is, do you know if that varies at all depending on which tooth it is? i.e., a molar vs. a canine? I have 3 (all rear-most molars) permanent crowns and one temporary, which came off today after 9 days. Until reading these comments I thought a permanent crown coming off was very rare, am I going to have to get a new crown on each of these teeth every decade or so? Or just recemented, typically?
P.S. – went with Polygrip on the temp, it was recommended in paperwork the dentist gave me. It hurt a LOT for about 45 minutes after I put it on, and even now there’s a dull pain after more than an hour. There was no root canal, would you guess that it’s just a temperature sensitivity thing, or a sign of another problem?
Hi Chris – As far as I know, crowns in back teeth usually don’t last as long as crowns in the front teeth due to the fact that the back teeth are under a lot more pressure than the front teeth.
It is very rare for permanent crowns to come off, but when it happens, a lot of people end up here and that’s why it doesn’t seem so rare! It really depends on the reason why your crown fell off. If it has decay under it, you may need to get a new crown made. if it simply came off because the cement wasn’t strong enough, then it may be able to be re-cemented.
I am guessing that the Polygrip simply irritated your pulp. As long as you’re not sill in severe pain, everything is probably fine.
I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Good to hear about the rarity of permanent crowns coming off, given that I have so many.
So I had the temp recemented yesterday morning, and then it came off AGAIN last night! From eating nice soft pizza, of all things. One of the ridges on the temp was very high and pointy, so today they ground it down and now it doesn’t contact the upper tooth so much.
A tip for any other readers – a lot of the pain from the Polygrip was from it being room temperature. I placed a stoneware plate on an over burner, turned it on the lowest heat, and set the Polygrip tube on the plate for about 15-20 minutes. Almost no pain when I used it after that, I never thought I would be so happy to have warm denture cream… at least not for another 40-50 years!
Thanks for the info.
I’m concerned with my 7 1/2 yr old’s crown. He has two silver crowns on his front teeth. They look ready to fall but are still “dangling”on tight to his gums. I see some white and I’m afraid his permanent teeth might have grown inside his caps and has now lost them. Can this happen?
Hi Myra – Since the permanent teeth are bigger than the baby teeth crowns, I don’t that they could grow into the crowns. Since they are “dangling” on his gums, it’s probably time for them to come out. The white you see may very well be the permanent teeth underneath.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Myra.
Hi,
My 3 year old son had caps put in about 6 months ago, and now his caps are falling out but also breaking half the tooth with it. I took him to the dentist and they said they cant do anything about it, to let the tooth fall out…. Now its already his 3rd cap to fall out and i dont know what to do.. i feel really bad because now my son has 3 teeth half was missing!!!! what can i do??
Hi Jennifer – You may need to get space maintainers placed to make sure that there is room for the permanent teeth to come in. Are the roots of the teeth still in his mouth? That does seem odd that three crowns would come out that quickly. Are you seeing a pediatric dentist? If not, you may want to get a second opinion to see what can be done.
I wish I could be of more help – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Jennifer!
Hi Tom…while biting into a piece of bread, the crown on my right front upper tooth fell off. All that is left in my mouth is what looks like a baby tooth..I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well.
Hi Dr. Barnes – I’m glad it helped! I’ve heard of tacos and cheese sandwiches causing crowns to break off. Thanks for your comment.
I had a cap loose and i can’t find it. I think i swallowed it. Do you think i will pass it? It’s been 2 days now and no sign of it yet? Would you happen to know how long it takes to pass it? Should i have passed it by now?
Hi Nancy – It can take different amounts of time to pass depending on what your diet consists of. I’m not an expert in that area – your doctor may be able to provide more insight.
I wish I could be of more help – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Nancy!
So I have a bridge on my left side of my front tooth. I have had this bridge for 10 years, and yesterday, it came off of the teeth it was cemented or fixed to. What could I expect for fixing this? Is it as simple as just seeing a dentist and having them cement it back in place? Or is there more involved??? Any information you could offer would be helpful…I am a little scared and really don’t know what to expect!! Thanks!
Hi Jessica – A dentist may be able to cement it back in place as long as the teeth underneath are healthy. You can check out this article on why crowns fall off. There is a chance that a new bridge would have to be made if the teeth are decayed or there are other problems.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Jessica!
Hey Tom,
My crown came off my very last tooth on the bottom of my right side several months back. When it came off, it took almost the entire tooth with it. My dentist has said the tooth just needs to be extracted. I have been considering an implant because I don’t want my other teeth to move or shift into the space, but here is my question. I just had a crown placed on the top tooth above this one. If I have the tooth extracted, will the tooth above it still move into it’s place eventually or since that tooth now has a crown will it not move. I really don’t have the money to get the implant right now so it may be several years down the road before I can afford it so I want to know if I can just leave the tooth missing. Thanks for your help.
Hi Heather – The teeth around this tooth will most likely move into the empty space. Even the tooth above it with the crown will move down. If you don’t have the money for the implant, it’s usually a good idea to get some sort of removable appliance (like a temporary removable partial denture with one tooth) to fill in the gap until you get the implant. This will conserve the space in your jaw so that you have room for the implant when the time comes. I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Heather!
Hi Tom,
I’m so glad I found this site. I just got home and decided to snack on a fiber bar. Two chews later I felt my tooth came off. Luckily it’s a crown. The crown has a what looks like a wooden toothpick attach to it. Underneath I see some brown and some silver. Left on my gums is a fragmented tiny piece of what looks like a tooth- but it’s brown.
I called my dentist, but they’re close so I spoke with the helpline for the dentist. She asked if I had a root canal there- I said yes. She asked if I had pain- nope. No pain.
She said I would get a call back on Monday from the dentist.
Here are my questions:
What can I expect at the dentist? Will it hurt? I read previous posts about bridges and implants. Would I have to get one??
Can the “hole” get infected?
What do I do until then?
It’s was the crown on my lower left jaw by my canine. I really don’t care if people can see the gap. I’m most concern with any pain (which may develop) and possible infection. Thank you in advanced for the info. I’m just really worried about pain/ injections/ dentist in general
Thanks,
Yazmin
Hi
Ok so a few days ago I had a few temp crowns put in. Tonight one fell out. The tooth is kinda sharp and I’m worryed a cavitiy filling fll out? Maybe?can the put a filling under a cap? The tooth is kinda sore but maybe its because the tooth wasn’t placed right? I won’t be able to get to the dr till tues. Do you think it will be ok over this week end.
i am 18 years old boy.. i have undergone the dental crowning a few months before.. unfortunately the crown has been broken.. now it is looking odd.. so plz tell me what to do?? can the dentist able to remove and replace a new one?
Hi Adarsh – I would think that if it broke in just a few months that your dentist will be able to replace it with a new one. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Adarsh.
but sir, they have tried to remove.. but it was found to be difficult…. so they told me to wait until it loosens… what do you say for this? it is looking so odd… please tell any other solution..
Hi Adarsh – They could always drill through the crown to remove it.
sir,, I heard that drilling may hurt my original carved teeth or can cause many side effects..
it is my central incisor.. i want to have a nice teeth as before…
whether another crown can be fixed above the existing crown by giving shape once again to the crown???
i would like to know the detail report in the process of removing the existing broken ceramic crown….. please sir….
AND another question is that which crown is better among the ceramic and porcelin?
Hi Adarsh – Your dentist will be able to help you with your unique situation and guide you to the best type of crown for your tooth. Normally, the old crown is removed completely and a new crown is put on the tooth. I hope that helps. Thanks for your comment!
hey my crown fell off a few days ago and i just made a dentist appointment to get it fixed. I’m worried however because my tooth that had the crown is kinds lose and it’s a permanent tooth. In case i need to get my tooth taken out what would most likely happen. Also what would you recommend for pain because it just started to hurt today.
its the second tooth to the end of my upper left
Hi Tom,
My Father is 75 years old and his front bottom tooth fell out over two months ago. He has not been to the Dentist, he has the tooth and he keeps it in place with tongue. When he is around us, he will not eat any food that he has to bite down on. My question is can he get an infection from this? We keep trying to get him to go to the Dentist, but for some reason he will not go.
Thank you,
Mary
Hi Mary – To be honest, I am not sure if he would get an infection from this. Normally when teeth fall out, bone eventually remodels and fills in the empty socket, and the gum tissue covers it up. By leaving the socket open, he may be opening himself up to a greater risk of infection. Another risk of this would be that he may accidentally breathe in the tooth and choke on it.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
what are the things my dentist can do about fractured teeth, they suggested that i may have a fractured tooth because i was in sever pain and about 8shots of anesthetic didn’t help numb my tooth, i had a root canal done do i shouldn’t have felt pain after 8 shots of anesthetic?
Hi Edguar – Depending on the extent of the fracture, sometimes a filling can be placed. It could need a crown, or in the most severe cases it would need to be extracted.
Depending on the location of the shots, 8 shots sometimes may not get you numb, but I know it can be frustrating! Sometimes it’s hard to get an infected nerve completely numb.
I had a lower, all the way back molar pulled several months ago. The pulling damaged the metal crown on the molar in front of that one, making a hole in the crown. I didn’t know there was a hole, but I know it was rough, because it hurt when I rubbed my tongue against it. This is a 20 year old silver colored metal crown. The dentist said nothing about the damage that I’m sure he must have saw, but which I didn’t know about at the time of the pulling.
A few months later, the crown was noticeably loose. I don’t have dental insurance, and the dentist in this very small town doesn’t take payment plans, so I didn’t have enough money to make another appointment yet.
Well, a few days ago the crown fell off. When I looked at it, I saw why. I was unaware that there was a HOLE in my crown, as damage from getting my other tooth pulled. Obviously, each time I ate, food and bacteria was getting in there, with no way for me to clean it. Yuck.
Well, I see no reason to put the crown back on, since there is a big hole on the back of it. I figure it would just trap more food and bacteria, and could cause a serious issue.
Now, I have tried to get a dental appointment to get this crownless tooth looked at, and told my options, but they said they MAY be able to get me an appointment in January. Here I am – crown is off, and I MAY be able to be squeezed into the dentist in about three months.
What do I do?
PS – the tooth is surprisingly well-looking, from what I pictured in my mind. It is all there, but with a big fracture, and part of the back, where the crown damage occured, it is a bit caved in. The color is black/mottled gray. It is not loose, and when I push on it with my finger, it feels like my other teeth. I actually feel better with that broken crown off of it, but I’m worrying about infection, or losing that tooth, while waiting to get in the dentist.
Further, I have a large cavity in one of my side top teeth, which I fear is going to abscess soon. I feel very stuck. We probably don’t have the money to get either or these things fixed, since the dentist charges the highest prices I have ever seen, of all the places I live, the refuse to do payment plans, and I don’t have dental benefits.
Seriously, is there something I can do at home? Honestly, this is about as bad as if I were in some remote jungle, with no dentists. What do I do?
Hi Brenda – I’m not sure what to say, it sounds like it’s pretty hard to get an appointment in your area. Do you live near a dental school? I’m not sure how pulling a tooth would put a hole in a crown, although pulling an adjacent tooth can cause a crown to become loose.
Until you can get it, it would probably be good to keep the crown-less tooth as clean as you can to prevent further damage. I wish I could be of more help, Brenda. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Well, there is a hole, straight through the back of the crown, and there is bent down metal, folded under the hole – not wonder it would cut my tongue when I’d feel back there. 😕 The tooth must have been pretty hard to pull, because the dentist ended up on his knees on the bed above me, pulling back. I had the WORST headache of my life for two days straight after that. I hope to never have to have a tooth pulled again.
I wondered about a dental school as well, but I live out in the country. Many folks don’t have many teeth around here, LOL. I’m in shape, am generally healthy and considered pretty. I REALLY want to keep my teeth. 😕
I just swollowed my temporary crown, I have an appointment in 5 days to have it removed and another temp. put on, is this too long to have a prepared tooth exposed…
please let me know what to do when a permement crown comes out after being in and i use niteguard and it still comes loooose .say halloweeeeen! thx email meeee please! thx
Hi
My crown hasn’t exactly fallen off, but just now, I somehow managed to get a sliver of it off what feels like the front of it. There is no change in the appearance of the tooth, but it feels rough. Should I be worried that the crown is now weakened, or am I just being paranoid? I have already had one crown break, this is now my second, and it is a porcelain crown, which is supposed to be stronger, and last longer. Any help would be grately appreciated.
Thank You
hey,
a just thought a would ask if you have any idea why the gum around my crown is very very sore and the crown its self is slightly slack normally a wouldnt mind but the pain is really bad and ave never had any pain before not even when i had it fitted. my crown is permanent and ave only had it since 2008 normally a would visit a dentist but ave just moved and dont have one here yet can you please help
thanks chelsea
Tom,
Great site and very informative so far. My crown with what looks like a post fell out of my back lower mollar. I have had the crown for well up to 10 years and it has fallen out numerous times, but never with the post. There is very little “good tooth” left to help support the crown. The tooth has had a root canal and I have so far experienced no pain. I know the crown is getting down to its last days but can/should my dentist still put the crown back on with the post glued to it?
Also, what are my other options? Replacement tooth if it needs to be completely pulled? And what would the costs be associated with that? Thank you for all your help.
Hi Anthony – At my dental school, we would charge $70 to $100 to extract that tooth depending on the difficulty. Your dentist will be able to tell you your options. One option might be to glue it back in, knowing that it may only last a few days or a few months. It sounds like a better option would be an implant for that tooth or a bridge if it is not the very last tooth.
Hi Tom,
My crown fell off last night. I dont have a new question, I just wanted to thank you for your article and well thought out comments to questions. This is a great resource, I knew exactly what to do!
Thanks Again,
Angie
I have had a temp crown and had it replaced twice, and yesterday It was replaced again and now this morning I was eating Lightly toasted Bread since I am trying to prevent it from breaking again I have not been eating anything sticky I do not like gum so that is out of the question. I am going to have the crown replace with a permantent one in 3 days can I wait until then or should I go and get this taken care of again? Or can it wait 3 days?
I had the same problem last month. I was due to get the perm. crown fitted the following week (6 days). My dentist was happy for me to come in straight away if i was uncomfortable with it but said that it would be ok as long as i kept it clean and didn’t drink any fizzy pop etc….
Got the Permanent crown now and it looks and feels great, no problems.
I was wondering if you can reuse your bridge if they need to remove it to repair a decay between the bridge and the tooth next to it. My insurance does not pay for bridges and he is telling me he can’t re-use the same bridge. $4500.00 ouch.
Hi Tom, my husband just lost his crown while eating dinner. The crown itself had a white plaque type substance that had an unpleasant odor; it wasn’t solid…looked to be what I would describe as minced. One side of the tooth was black…which seems odd to me as i would think a cavity wouldn’t present itself in a perfectly straight line around the tooth. My first question is could the black be anything other than a cavity? Second question: the dentist that did this was a little shady and we don’t particularly want to go back to him. Is this something that should be fixed by the dentist who implanted the crown….is there any sort of unwritten rule where this dentist should feel compelled to help out at a discount or are we 100% liable (in this case we would seek a new dentist)?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Tom,
I had a crown put on my front tooth about 7 years ago. My gum line has receded a little, so now
I see a dark line where my crown meets the gum. I’ve already had a root canal on it 19 years ago –
so I guess that the tooth is naturally dark. Is the exposed part of my front tooth a concern – I’m super
paranoid about it getting decayed and have so much anxiety about making sure I am keeping this
tooth as healthy as possible. I’ve been to several dentist and the advice is floss, and push my gums
down….. It just seems like there should be more to this – I’d like to learn about what I can do now – not after the fact. How long can a crown last? Will it eventually fall off or my tooth break off?
Thanks!
Hi Tom, about 1-2 months ago i got a crown places on my #14 tooth, well today i noticed some a huge increase in sensitivity, and not the tooth feels with its slipping a little, and i can push the tooth up but when i do so i can taste something, its not blood and its clear so i don’t think it is pus, but i dont know if its worth a trip to the dentist either, any ideas on what i should do?
Tom,
This is a great topic!
Hi Tom,
After reading through your article, I was sure that if somebody could help me it was you. I have shifted to the US from India a few months back. Ever since coming here, I have been facing one dental problem after the other. As everything is so new-the country,doctors,procedures, I need help badly.
a) Issue 1-I have 4 crowns (upper front) 1 individual, 2 merged, 1 individual. The 2 merged were put 17 yrs back and have not given me any trouble in all these years. Just 2 weeks back while eating an apple the crowns came off but were unharmed. I fixed up an appointment with a nearby dentist and got them fixed. But the dentist put two doubts in my mind. She said that the support tooth has decayed and would not be able to hold the crown for very long now so I have to think about an alternative like bridge or implant which are expensive procedures. I have no way to tell whether this is actually needed or not. What is the probability of my present crowns holding on for about a year or can the supprt tooth be strenthened somehow? If my present crowns stay for a year more also it solves my purpose as I am returning to India in DEC 2012 and can get this work done there as it is cheaper and my own dentist can do this.Can you please advise?
b)Issue 2- November 11, the dentist said a filling will suffice for covering up a cavity and gave an appointment on Dec 9. I had acute pain on Nov 30, went to the dentist, said filling will not suffice, RCT with crown needed, cost-1500 $.
How do I confirm that RCT is the only option? If yes can I get the RCT done now and delay the crown for about 3 months?
c)Issue 3- I have two crowns in the lower back part of my mouth. I feel they move when I touch themand I am always scared they will come out. Is it that they are not fitted properly? Can they be taken out and refixed to make me comfortable?
Your valuable suggestions will be greatly appreciated Tom. Please help, I am terrified…Waiting anxiously for your reply. Also if you could suggest me a good dentist for this work. I stay in 1500 Plantation Oak drive,Trophy Club,76262, Texas
Regards,
Payal
I just broke a crown while eating dinner. The information on your site helped me a great deal. Your site seems to be an extremely useful and generously provided public service. As a retired public servant myself, I laud your efforts. I hope your skills and your attitude make you a millionaire.
Hi Tom,
Great information on here 🙂
My question is; I went to a ‘smile specialist’ dental clinic to have the veneers I had on my 2 front teeth redone as one had chipped -The other was fine but I decided to get them both done so they matched. The dentist basically told me if she was going to do anything it would be crowns, they were much stronger, last longer blah blah. I had them done and am not really happy with 2 things:
1. I can see the tiny little baby teeth underneath (I had no idea I was going to end up losing so much natural tooth). I am sooooo embarrassed about it and feel like everyone must know those squares inside my front teeth are my tiny little real teeth 🙁
2. The colour is a shade darker than my teeth. I told the lady that I normally use a whitening toothpaste but hadn’t been for a few months but will be going back to it. She gave me 2 shades to choose from and I chose the whiter one. I went back 3 weeks later to get the crowns implanted and when I got home and really looked at them they are a shade darker than my teeth. I feel like it’s not the shade I chose, and if so why didn’t she give me the option of whiter shades??? It is not a huge colour difference but I can notice it, and I definitely cannot have my teeth whitened now.
I feel that maybe if they were whiter you wouldn’t be able to see the white little teeth squares inside.
Is there anything I can do..? I am so upset as I am getting married in 5 weeks which is why I got these done. I wanted a gorgeous celebrity smile and now I am too embarrassed to smile.
Hi Tom, Im Kim From the uk. and i could really do with some dental advice as my dentist & the consultant have really just left me with many unaswered questions. & many sleepless nights. Yes i am a worrier!!
you seemed to have helped so many people. so im hoping you may be able to help me?
ill try keep this short as possible 🙂
when i was around 14, i was jumped by a group of girls and hit in the face with a vodka bottle. which caused my right central incisor to break off. many years later my dentist decided to do all my 3 front teeth 2 centrals and the next one to the left with crowns all was well and good i was happy and no longer embarressed of my awful smile and for the past 5 years ive been very happy & confident.
2 months ago an infecton came about and after two course of antibitotics it seems to have settled down. but my dentist wanted to refer me to the dental hostpital as my right centrel has started to to rot and he wanted a second opinion. whilst waiting for an appontment my left central insisors fell out and i luckly had it fixed the same day. anyway i went to my appointment at the hostpital and last week and the consultant told me the infection is still there. and the only thing i can do is get a bridge or denture.
but i dont know what to do.. i would rather have the bridge but i was told that if i did the chanced are i would lose another tooth in years to come. should i get the denture and also.im very scared about the crown falling out over christmas it dosnt feel wobbly. but it does feel strange and i find im constantly in the mirror checking it. would i get any prior warning to it falling out?
sorry for the long question. i hope you can help me. i just really dont want to get a denture. but i would rather that than lose more teeth in years to come
Hi, I went to a dental school for several visits in 2006 for one tooth with a very bad and large cavity. My dentist as a child recommended braces as my teeth are too close together and sure enough I have suffered many caries in adulthood as a result. We did not know there was such a reason for braces! I floss often, but the dental school concluded with dye that I do brush well but my teeth in between are still at risk even with flossing. Now that I am late 30’s and have had 2 crowns & several fillings it seems too late for braces- Anyway -this upper tooth was quite damged. first-root canal, post & core, and then the crown finally cemented in 2006. It is an upper tooth, 2 teeth back from a canine. I noticed today a sense of fullness or when I talk it feels uncomfortable like my upper and lower teeth are touching. It’s hard to describe the feeling. When I talk I feel fine but then in mid-sentence I suddenly feel that a tooth is touching it. If I sing I am fine. I don’t see any physical difference in the tooth or feel any pain. I just wonder if this strange feeling might go away or is it a sign of a failing crown. I dread going back and sitting in chairs as I need atilt table test for my heart, and eevry time I was in the dental chair I felt like I was on the verge of fainting, and now i realize it might be due to a heart thing. Any advice. i wish I could pull every tooth and get all fake plates. I know people woudl sauy that is crazy, but eevryoen in my Mom’s family lost their teeth,a dn I feel i am prolonging and maintaining all this dental work is expensive, physically exhausting, and I am emabrrassed to smile with all the fillings. Thank you for listening.
I see you haven’t been updating recently but I hope you do soon. Your answers are very informative. My 2 year old had white crowns put on November 8th. Her four top teeth. Now one of them has fallen off. I don’t know where or if she’s swallowed it. Does the tooth she have left hurt when I brush it? Should we have the cap replaced. Or would she be OK without it? Also on her left front tooth if I look on the back touching the gumlind I can see a silver one color. Is that the cement? Does that mean this cap is loosening. We just went 2 weeks ago to get the right top one filed down because it was chipped. Could this have loosened the others?
Hi Kortnie – I’m studying for the Dental Boards II exam, so I have been neglecting Oral Answers for the past few weeks. If all they did was crowns and didn’t do any pulp treatment (like a root canal or pulpotomy) then it is possible that your daughter feels it when you brush and it may be a good idea to get it replaced.
As far as the silver color, it is possible that her dentist put porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns on her teeth. The silver band is probably the silver showing through. By not putting porcelain on the back, it made it so that the dentist didn’t have to shave away as much of your daughter’s natural tooth. Also, the metal forms a better seal with the tooth so that it is less likely that the crown will leak.
I hope that helps, Kortnie – Thanks for your comment!
Thanls you very much!
I have had crowns on teeth 5 6 and 7 since 1994 or so due to trauma. I recently had # 7 fall off and immediately went in and had my dentist look at it. She said the she could TRY to put a rod in it that it looked pretty bad and sucjh a small tooth took a big hit and now it was falling apart. She suggested having the tooth removed by an oral sugeon (why a surgeon) and the having a 6,7,8 bridge put on right away or getting an implant. I do not have the money for the implant although it seems like the most reasonable choice long term. Teeth 6, and 8 have root canals… I would REALLY like to keep my tooth is there a reason why she can not build it back up? Are these teeth going to be strong enough to hold a bridge?
Hi Tom,
I had a broken teeth for a long time and i ended up with a permanent crown. Just yesterday, my crown fell off after 3 yrs. I think my tooth broke of with it because all I see left in my mouth is an opening with white egdes and then the gum. What do you think i should do?
I just had a crown procedure done in Mexico. I went to a dentist in Nuevo Progreso (one who I had gotten many success stories about). I am a “Winter Texan” and many hundreds of us use these dentists when we are down in the Rio Grande Valley as they are so much more economical. Anyway, this dentist ground my tooth down (which had broken off), put some “gooey” substance on a “stick/bar” which I then bit down on and held tightly for 4 min. This goo hardened then and that was my temporary crown. I am to go back this next week for my permanent crown. Today this temp crown has started to fall apart/crumble. Why is this happening and what should I do?(I had not been chewing on that tooth). I will go back there as soon as possible. Will having my ground down tooth exposed hurt anything until I can get my perm. crown on? I am worried that something terrible might happen now that this has happened. Can you tell me?
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!
I am almost 25 years old and have hat problems with my teeth for over 15 years. I wore braces for 4.5 years and had an awful experience with them. The cement wasn’t removed for a year after the braces were removed and when it was chipped off it took a layer of each tooth. I then had visible square on each tooth. Less than 3 years later it had progressed to deeper, brown squares on each tooth and further chipping away at the borders. X-rays showed decay in all but 2 teeth. In 2006 my two front teeth chipped nearly completely away. $3000 bought me two crowns I was told may last 5 years. I have had several root canals, and two of those teeth (molars) were extracted. I only have one functional, lone standing molar and 2 broken down to the gum line. My wisdom teeth were growing horizontal into my molars and were painfully removed. I have very tiny teeth, in fact, my two crowns are only white on the front because they said my teeth were so tiny that porcelin on the back would have made it way thicker than the rest of my teeth.
I can hardly chew, I have open wounds, and worst of all, my right front tooth crown just fell out during breakfast and the tooth post decayed and broke off.
I am an LPN and will be an RN in 5 more months. I work days I am not in school (covered by financial aide). I have $0 in my bank account and debts in excess of $10,000. Last year I was hospitalized with a severe GI infection and 3 weeks ago I just had heart surgery via catheter for a bad electrical signal. My stepdad killed himself 5 years and two months ago and my mom is caring for 4 people and was laid off 6 months ago.
I am embarassed to go in public, I can’t chew at all now and I am only in my early 20’s. I live in Virginia and I don’t know what to do. Dental is so expensive, even with a payment plan I can’t do it. I couldn’t cough up $500 right now if it would save me. I know with every tooth now needing help that it will be over $25,000. Is there any resource, aid, charity, pro bono, ANYTHING besides cleanings at dental schools that you know of and can help get me? I brush and floss, I am a clean person. I really need some help.
What should I do?
Thank you.
Christina
maybe see a doctor
Hello,
I have had crowns on teeth during the January of 2011, and since then the crown on one of them came out last week. For initial 2-3 days, i have no pain but now i have a pain in the teeth, when i touch it with my tongue. As i did my crowning in India and I don’t have insurance here in Europe which covers me, also I think it was going to cost much to fix it which I cannot pay now, but i am going back to India next month so that i can fix it there, So can i take some painkiller to cure this at the moment or i have to fix it as soon as possible. please suggest me.
thanks
Kumar
My best friend has a crown. Is one of her small front tooth. The other day we went to a restaurant and confidentially she told me that she had swalled her crown. I caller for her different general dentist. We found a board certified general dentist. He advised her to wait because perhaps she was going to get it back. Well you know. In fact, she got it back. Her dad advised her to put it into bleach to desinfected, then she washed with hot water, then with peroxide and again hot water. She placed into a small plastic bag. As was too expensive she had no money to pay for another crown. We went to the dentist and he put it back. The problem that she has is that she is feeling pain on her gum, sometimes decreased or increase. My sister told her to use hot salty water, because it helps to desinfects. Every time to relief the pain she use this salty warm water and is taking advil. I want to help her. My question is why she is feeling pain? if my friend desinfected her crown, I don’t know if the dentist perhaps did it too, why she is feeling pain day and night? I advised her to go to a general dentist to remove it, she doesn’t want it because she is not working and has no money. I need you an advise for my friend Maria. Thank you
Mavi
Hey i had a root canal done a few weeks ago and the dentist put a tempoary filling and wanted me to go to my original dentist to remove the temp and put the perminant one in and then the crown. But my tempoary filling came out! What should i do and what can go wrong??
When I was having a brand new metal/ceramic crown cemented to a molar, and after it had supposedly cured, the nurse tried flossing it, and it popped back out. The nurse picked it up of my tongue, possibly added more cement, and put it back in.
Having done a lot of gluing in my time, I’m concerned about the strength of this second bond. The first time, the dentist was very precise, dried everything, and seated it himself. The second time the nurse just did it herself, didn’t dry anything, and didn’t have me bite a strip after it was seated to see if it still fit well. It feels like it’s in the correct spot… but should I be concerned about my crown’s strength and position?
Should I find a better dentist?
Hi, I have a question. A few months ago I went to the dentist, and as they were cleaning my teeth they noticed that I had a small hole in my crown. They had said that it would eventually need fixed. So, as I was chewing a piece of gum this morning the crown fell out. I now have a hole in my mouth where the crown was, there is no tooth in there. I have made an appointment with my dentist but was curious why there was no tooth left. Thank you
So my crown actually fell out a couple of months ago, I don’t have an dental insurance so I haven’t thought to check in with one because I know I couldn’t afford it. But my tooth seems to be okay. The crown came off and a month or so afterwards I actually bit with that side of my mouth and I broke off a piece of the cement.. I don’t know what to do.. also I don’t know if it has to do with the crowns but after that crown came out I have had a weird smell to my breathe.. it’s not a bad smell but it is just kind of like a bold plain smell. Any ideas?
My crown fell off tonight after I tried to eat a hard piece of candy. I had orginally had a root canall an then dentist put a crown on my tooth. About 8 yrs ago. I have the crown. Should I get into tbe dentist as soon as I can???.
My crown front incisors were done with new cores 12 years ago. I was brushing and felt my teeth ship out of place. My crown are now loose with no pain. I have notices a black discoloration at the base and bleeding when I wake up in the morning.
My crown slipped while brushing. It was rebuilt core, post and new crown about 12 years ago.
I have noticed bleeding and bad breath prior to the crown became loose. There is no pain.
Hi Boris – It sounds like the crowns won’t last much longer. It would be good to head into your dentist to get them looked at and see what your options are.
Hi Tom,
Thank you for taking the time to read and answer our questions.
My daughter is ten years old and he back right molar that has a crown of it is loose
She says it doesnt hurf but she also mentioned she chews on the ofher side
Im making her an appointment to see a dentist. But shes terrified of the dentist.
Every time we go for a check up she cries. The times she needed work done she was reffered to out to
A specialty deistist which advise to put her under because she is so afraid.
We have to drive 1.5 hours to Loma Linda school of childrens dentistry in Redlands CA. Is it a hugh deal to take her in or is it okay that if fully falls out. Its about 3years old. its a baby tooth under. Can it be that the adult tooth is pushing it out to Come in?
Thank you for your time and response.
Hi Tom,
I am just looking for an opinion. My almost 3 year old had a cavity in his front two teeth. We did the oral sedation and the dentist attempted to fill it. While there the filling poped out, he then recomended we put crowns on my son’s two front teeth. He didn’t take a mold of my son’s teeth but put two crowns on on. After reading I worry now that these are temporary and won’t last the 3 years he will probably need them to last.
Can a tempory crown be a good fix for three years?
-Heather
Hi Tom.
I got 2 joint porcelain crowns on 2 of my front teeth more than 2 years ago. Though they are perfectly fine as of now and not loose at all, there is sometimes a gap between the gums and those 2 crowns, resulting in food getting stuck. However, most of the times there is no gap visible (only a little darkening near the gum area) when the gums cover them. I brush twice regularly, though I don’t floss. Since 2-3 months I have started noticing that there is a little rotten odor coming from the crowns. Is there a possibility of a bacterial infection in the tooth inside? I have had a root canal done though (I got crowning done after about 8 years of having the root canal done since I was around 10 at that time and the dentist didn’t think it was appropriate to put permanent crowns on the broken tooth) Please advice. And thanks. 🙂
Hi Tom,
My crown fell out tonight while eating and my plan is to see the dentist tomorrow to have it reattached. But I wanted to know if I should go get some temporary cement from the pharmacy or just wait out the 12 hours to see the dentist.Thanks!
Hi Tom,
I had root canal treatment 2 yrs ago in India. The crown fell down in the month of February. I haven’t refixed it yet as I am in Europe. I am getting pain in the teeth now and then . Since April , I am getting severe pain in my tooth around the time of mensuration. I had this pain started last Saturday night again. I took some crocin for pain relief. I repeated it every 4 hrs. The pain was not coming down and the swelling also started. So yesterday I started antibiotics ( amoxycillin-500mg). The pain has gone now and some pus kind of material has come out of teeth without the crown. How long should I continue this antibiotic as I still have swelling on my cheek while pain is not there. But I am not able to swallow food properly.
I could get appointment with dentist on June 13 which is quite far. I am afraid if the pain will get back. Please suggest.
Hi, Tom–
I hope you’re still able to address some of our crown questions.
My dental insurance is very limited and when my crown was put on a lower molar, it only paid about half. A couple of months after being put on, it fell off and I went back to my dentist who reapplied it. Now, four months later, it’s fallen off again. All my insurance is gone and the new period won’t start until July 1st. Will I be all right until then? Meanwhile, I have heard that my dentist is facing legal problems for questionable practices, so I really don’t want to go back.
I want to find another dentist, because I am being charged to reapply the crown, which I’m wondering is typical, or not? I don’t want it to keep falling off and if his work is questionable, will another dentist give me a second opinion rather reasonably? Meanwhile, I plan to just keep that area super clean (there is no discoloration yet) and keep taking ubuprofin until I know what to do. If I decide to just extract the tooth (it’s not visible), would that be the best option in the long run?
Thank you so much for your help!
My 12 years old crown popped out yesterday and I am flying to France tomorrow. My husband told me to super glu it. I trusted him and did not check the internet. Today, I checked just as of curiosity and everywhere it is said that it is a big mistake. I am worried. What should I do? Should I go see a dentist in France or can’t it stayed like that for a month or so. It’s very uncomfortable as the crown seemed too high.
Thank you so much for your advice.
Thank you Tom
Mine happened last night while eating a saladmy dentist is on vacation it is a non root canal tooth I just had the mercuary removed I will go too my pharmacy today I was told previous too use denture adhesive but I am afraid that it will not hold it thank you for mentioning the cemet
Dear Tom,
Thanks for including our products in your comments on replacing a lost filling and re-cementing a loose cap. The product pictures that you are using are very out of date. A customer looking for any of these products would not be able to find them based on the pictures. How do I get current graphics to you?
Thanks,
Larry Fishman
Majestic Drug Co, Inc
Hello, I just got my braces off yesterday, the very next day a portion of porcelain on a crown broke off. Will this cause my teeth to shift?
Thank you.
My lower right molar (#30) was really sensitive to cold & hot & my dentist suspected it was also cracked… I had a crown made which has fallen off several times in the past year… Finally my dentist tells me that it looks like I will need a root canal & then a new crown because there is so little tooth left that the crown cannot stay on. I’ve never had a root canal – what should I expect? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, I’m not a dentist but I’ve had a root canal and I once posted a comment here, so I saw yours. The short story is that you can expect your tooth to feel a lot better and your wallet to feel a lot lighter! But seriously, a root canal isn’t much different than getting a crown put on, as far as the experience goes. They just drill a bit deeper, but your mouth is (should be) numb so that shouldn’t matter. At first the tooth that had the root canal will feel sort of like a “foreign” object, because the nerve has been removed, but that feeling goes away very very soon and after a while you forget it ever happened. Since you’ve already had a crown in the past you can assume it will be about the same as that.
I suppose I should also mention that in addition to drilling deeper, they will usualy insert a metal “post” that is a tiny metal rod inserted into your tooth, and that is used to help hold the crown on. But again, it probably won’t take much longer than the time it took to put that crown on.
Hi there I was hoping you could offer me some advice on what to do about my front teeth. I had root canals done on both of them in 2010 and then had one crown put on both and the crown has fallen off nearly 30 times so far. There is not enough material left of my teeth to attach them permanently. I at my wits end on what to do i’m afraid to eat, just because i don’t want them falling out again. The point is i was wondering what you think about getting one crown per tooth instead of one for both, or is there any way to attach a crown when theres almost no material left. (my dentist has put some studs in the sides of my teeth to hold the crown).
hi….i was eating gum & realized the the tooth i had root canal done some 7-8 yrs bak just came off….i could see the metal linning & the crown on top of it..i tried 2 see if it fits back….and it does….its not hurting yet…can it be saved…how much expense would i incur?? i dont have dental insurance…what do i do next.?? .thanks in advance.
I have a double problem and it is serious. In the row of upper front teeth I had two crowns fitted by a British dentist about 10 years back. Since then I have been living in Tenerife. For the past few years I have been struggling financially and have had enough problems paying my rent so haven’t been to a dentist for a long time. Two weeks ago now the crown next to the left-hand side canine tooth came off, or came out, would be a better description because it has a metal spike-like pin that obviously went into a hole into the root. The crown part itself looks fine but has some broken cement or tooth at the base. In the gum there is a rough stump but I cannot see it well. My first question is do you think this crown could be cemented back in place?
If that wasn’t bad enough, just a day ago, the crown next to it also came off and this one has no metal spike but what looks like decayed tooth inside it. Again there is a slightly jagged stump where the root is and that is all. With the two crowns gone I now have a huge gap that looks terrible.
Is there any possibility this crown could be cemented back in place as well and if not what can be done about all that is left of the root?
Apart from the obvious problems this has caused I am worried that any dentist I see here will give me some really expensive price to fix this because I don’t know where I could get the money from. Please help by giving me your opinion on this!
Hello!
My partial crown broke into several pieces approx. two weeks ago after only being on for three years (I think it was loose prior to falling off because whenever I would brush my teeth, it would always feel like something was stuck in it). Anyway, went to the dentist and had another temp crown put on. I’m scheduled to have the permanent one put on in just over a week. Ever since the dentist put on the temp, ive been living in pain and taking Advil around the clock. I called the office to see if it was normal to be experiencing this much pain, so they advised me to come in and let them look at it. They filed the tooth (crown) thinking it must be hitting somewhere and causing the pain (and they took another X-ray) and then sent me on my way. Two days later now and the crown fell out ( about three hours ago actually). It didn’t hurt at first, but now I’m experiencing a lot of pain. The gum around the tooth is definitely irritated and swollen. Also, the tooth looks really yellow. Can you please give me some insight?
Thanks!
Hi there,
I’ve had a crown put in in 2007 or 08. on my bottow left lower teeth. It keeps falling off. Doesn’t hurt. Why can’t i just put a small amout of super glue and hopefully it will stay on forever. Cement super glue what is the difference. Serious.
Hello,
i have just got a temporary crown as I am waiting for my new one to come in form the dentist,I have had root canal and i was given a temporary crown until my next visit in 4 days.The problem is that my tempoary crown has fallen off and I cannot make another appointment till Thursday (4 days to wait). I watched some videos on you tube and people had used toothpaste to keep it in place for a short amount of time.I have cleaned my tooth and my crown and put it back on without any cement or something to keep it in place.
What shall I do ????
By the way the crown is on my left molar
Hi Layla,
Try either Recapit, which is available at Walgreens, Rite Aid and a lot of other drug and food stores or Dentemp OS, which is available at almost all drug and food stores. Recapit might be a little easier to use but they both work well to temporarily replace a cap or crown that has come off.
Larry
thank you for the reply I will go to my local drugstore and buy some right away
if my crown and grind down tooth came off then what to do ? this has been on for about 3 wks. this is the second time to have it come off, but this time i looked and there is no tooth there.
Hi Carol – Sometimes your dentist can place a post in the tooth to help hold the crown on – whether or not it can be done depends on how much tooth you have left and how healthy the tooth is.
Hello,
My crown came off a little while ago, I didn’t know it could be put back into place so I just left it alone not doing anything about the tooth….
The tooth hasn’t started to hurt but what should I do?
Will I have to get another root canal?
Or can I just get a fill in?
Thank you
Hi Cynthia,
Please see my response to Layla from Sept 2, 2012, 11:40 AM.
Larry
hi i had a root canal procedure done 6 years ago, and today while i was eating my cap came off, its saturday so the dentist wont be there til monday, what should i do in the mean time?
Hi Alma,
Please see my response to Layla from Sept 2, 2012, 11:40 AM.
Larry
About a year ago I got a root canal and a metal crown. Today as I was eating chips it fell off! The filed down ttooth didn’t break but there is some white stuff in the crown and the tooth looks like it has a dark lining around it. Its not painful but when it happened I took a motrin just in case because Im a big baby when it comes to pain! My dentist can’t see me for two weeks because im on vacation! When I try to cement it back on using dentex it feels kinda sore and im scared to apply it because im scared that my tooth will crack when I have to bite down to set it! If Idont put the crown on and wait two weeks willthat harm it or willl I feel any pain?
Hello – 7 years ago, I had a crown placed on tooth #3, Two years ago, while at a Medical office visit, I had xrays taken of my sinuses. Coincidentally, a cyst was found in the maxillary sinus at the tip of the root for tooth #3. Earlier this year I went through the braces process known as 6 months smiles. My teeth successfully straightened at 5 months and the braces came off. I will add here that #3 had the “anchor brace”. 2 weeks after the braces were removed, I developed a maxillary sinus infection and was very painful in the area of tooth #3. It was painful also to chew on that side. The MD gave me antibiotics, and the infection went away, no more pain what-so-ever, 10 days after I finished my antibiotics, I got ANOTHER infection same area, went back to the MD, who gave me another round of antibiotics and told me the felt it was due to my braces and having them taken off, Once again, the area surrounding tooth #3 very painful, painful to chew. During this 2nd round of antibiotics, my crown fell out. There was no root canal done to that tooth. I have no pain in that tooth or the surrounding gums, with no pain chewing, drinking, or brushing. The crown is solid and in one piece. I called my DDS told him what happened and he said I just need it re-cemented back on. I worry as that tooth is discolored and fear the possibilities of a root canal and wonder if having a root canal could some how cause problems for the maxillary cyst and sinuses???? Thank you for reading this…
Hi I had a root canal 15 years ago and today the crown fell off. I went immediatly to de tist and he said i need a periodontist to redo my root canal but since i cant afford that now he glued crown ontop of rotted root canal. I feel no pain, yet. Now once i ha e enough money to get tooth fixed how hard will it be to remove crown? And any other solutions?? I am scared.
Hi Tom,
I just got a crown put on one of my molars (I also had root canal done on this tooth).
Incidentally, I’m from Australia and the whole lot cost AUD$3000 (the crown being about half the cost).
I didn’t think to ask my dentist about whether I should be careful about eating hard or sticky foods and what signs to look for if the crown is in danger if coming off. In truth I thought once you got a crown – that’s it!
The crown was a little high and my dentist adjusted the tooth above it. Is this normal procedure?
Thanks for your time.
Hi Tom,
I think its been 8 or 9 months since i had my crown put on (again) the dentist said that she was surprised the crown hasnt broken because i have had it for years.So she took it off to see if i needed a root canal.She said i got lucky i didnt so she cemented it back on.Its been a while now that i rub my finger along the crown and i get a disturbing smell .Bacteria might have gotten under there.So my question is should if i go to my dentist and they remove it what will most likely happen?Im deadly affraid of pain .Will i need a root canal?Or will they put in a new crown.Im pretty scared thats why i havnt gone to the dentist yet to tell them:(
Hi,
I have a corwn on my front upper teeth, the crown is 1yr old almost, today while brushing the crown got detached, I was shocked at that moment and didn’t know what to do, i just took that crown and cleaned it with water and i had placed that back to my teeth, It got placed conveniently, but my fear is does this happen again? what should i do inorder to prevent it from happening again?
Hi Bhargav,
Try either Recapit, which is available at Walgreens, Rite Aid and a lot of other drug and food stores or Dentemp OS, which is available at almost all drug and food stores. Recapit might be a little easier to use but they both work well to temporarily replace a cap or crown that has come off.
Larry
I just had a root canal done about a week ago and on Wednesday, they put in a rod in my tooth and put on a temporary crown. The tooth that got the root canal is the top tooth right next to the two big front teeth in the front. Is the temporary crown supposed to be a representation of how the real crown will feel like? The temporary crown is fine when I bite down, but the back of the surface doesn’t seem to be flush with the rest of my teeth. (Some areas are higher raised than others). When I was eating today, it seemed like a part of the crown (one of the larger raised areas) seemed to have bumped or grinded against my bottom teeth when I was chewing and I felt it get a little loose. I’m afraid that it might fall out before I get my permanent crown in. I’m worried about whether or not the dentist will have me pay to have it re-cemented or cemented better since I already payed a lot of money to have it done, and didn’t seem to have a good quality.
I found a superior product not listed here called DenTek that seems to make a tremendous seal possible as the mechanics are totally different then the others listed here.
You make a small ball between your fingers like putty and lay it in–instead of just putting a small amount around the upper rim with a liquid gel cement with the others which does not fill the somewhat loose fit with all the cement removed.
The other difference is that you are instructed to leave the cap wet instead of dry as with the other products that say to make sure it is dry. It sets up within a couple of minutes vs. about 5 minutes (more like 10-15) with Recapit (similar to the other product ingredients and instructions) that I had no success with holding the cap on, reapplying it 5 times before throwing it away.
I also found that ALL the old cement could be removed down to the bare metal of the crown without having to try to scrape it off unsuccessfully with a dental pick by putting it in front of a hair dryer on low (with something solid to hold it there) for about 5 minutes. The heat just allowed it to break and flake off easily with the pick.
It is tight, with no play, and I am eating on it with absolutely no problems. I have a dentist appointment in 3 days so I will not be able to tell you how long it stays on but it seems to solve basic mechanical problems the others can’t.
Hi, ive just had my 3rd crown fitted after the previous two have fell off in the space of say 10 years or so. My dentist told me if the new one falls off that i should just leave it. That doesn’t seem
Like very good advice but i dont get any toothache from it…
I went to a new ‘dentist’, more like a big corporate ran dental group. They were mostly worried about a cracked tooth and decided to place a crown. About 9 months later it has fallen off and I called to schedule replacement. They said that I was overdue for a cleaning and that the dentist would like the area clean before recementing it. The next available appointment is in two months! This doesn’t sound like a normal procedure to ‘wait’ on! Are there complications that can arise from waiting this long?
I have a 17 year old root canal and porcelain crown. It has never bothered me. My upper teeth shifted slightly ( a crown placed on a live tooth was left a little too long this may have caused the shift). An orthodontist examined me and told me the shift was slight and not to worry- only a small adjustment was necessary. I went to a dentist for said adjustment (one tooth) and the dentist corrected the tooth that was hitting incorrectly but also filed down the outer edge of the 17 yr old porcelain crown that was not bothering me. He filed this edge down so much that I have lost the cutting edge of the tooth. Gratefully, it is not so bad but the molar above is now hitting just a little too hard and I will not have any more filing down. I would like to know if composite can be added to the crown to lift it (it really needs a cutting edge to be recreated) or if, worse thought, could the crown of this old r/c be replaced? I feel the crown has been already compromised since he filed so much porcelain off. I really am in shock. I would have had this r/c and crown probably for the rest of my life., it was done very well. I hate the idea of any more dental work–such a minor problem with a simple remedy should not turn our like this. Even when I was in pain before, I could chew my food comfortably. I will live with this rather than file more teeth, filing more teeth as a remedy is out of the question. Any help or advice?
Today before work my crown broke off with the old cement still stuck inside. There is no structure to cement it back on. I dont know what to do, its right in the middle of my smile. I went to the dentist and they put temporary cement on it but told me it will never hold. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hello.
My crown fell off about a week and a half ago, and I am currently in an exchange programme in Finland. I tried to go to the local dentist, but they said they can’t take me without an appointment and the soonest free time they can write me down to is in June. In the pharmacy they didn’t seem to know anything about a temporary cement. The crown holds well enough on its own, only falls out when I chew some sort of food. My question is, will it be ok for me to wait the month until I can go to my own dentist? I’ll try the pharmacy again for temporary cement, but I just wanted to know if the darned tooth will survive a month. Thank you!
All major drug stores (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid) and Wal-Mart carry Dentemp OS. This will work for you until you get to your dentist. Any problem finding Dentemp OS please call us at 800 238 0220
Finland, dear Mr. Fishman, Finland. Suomi. Northern Europe. Where Santa Claus/Father Christmas/Joulupuki/what have you is widely believed to reside. Nowhere even close to a single Wal-Mart, thank the gods. Thank you for trying though. Have a nice day.
Sorry. I misread your post. I read it as you were an exchange student from Finland. I’m not aware of anyplace in Finland that carries these products. Again, sorry.
I have three crowns on one side of my mouth- one upper and two lower (all are molars). A few months ago, one of my lower crowns “lifted” when I chewed on some sticky candy, but did not come out. I wasn’t sure which one it was (two are right next to each other) so I went to the dentist. He tried to wiggle one, and it was snug. The other wasn’t, so he removed it, checked for decay and re-glued it. I go to a large family practice with several dentists who are well-known for their excellent work. The dentist who re-glued the crown told me that the crown was not glued with permanent cement the first time, and that is why it came out. I am not sure whether to be concerned about that! Anyway, after the re-gluing, I experienced some gum pain around the crown. I thought it would go away with time, but two months later it still hurts if I press the gum with my finger. It does not seem visibly swollen, but my jaw on the outside of my face also hurts if I press it. It does not appear to have an abcess (yet. yikes). I am also beginning to experience the sensation that it might be loose or rocking, but not fully coming out. Should I worry, go back to the dentist and have him re-glue it? I appreciate your help and advice!
My 9 year old had a crown put on a jaw tooth a couple of years ago. Last week his current dentist said it was infected under the crown and needed to be pulled. Today he wernt in for the extraction, which went really bad. The tooth broke off leaving about half of it in. The Dentist gave him 3 injections and proceeded to use his hands and papplied pressure to push the remaing party of the tooth out with the child screaming the entire time. This took quite a few minutes and left the child tramatized and enduring excruating pain. He applied a lot of pressure.. Shouldn’t the child have been put to sleep and the tooth cut out? I feel he went through a lot of pain that might have been lessened had he been put to sleep. The process of pushing it out with force took quite a while, it was not a quick procedure,( over and done with.) Do dentist usually use this method? I have never heard of it being done and it left a really big hole and a very upset child. I am concerned about infection or other problems occuring Any input will be greatly appreciated Thanks Patricia
Hi my name is Jonathan so actually happens when u lose the whole tooth and I get an enfection cause that’s where I’m at
I must have swallowed my crown. It was on a molar that had some extensive work done on it in prep for the permanent crown. Because of this, the tooth hurts (I was not given a root canal but was suggested I might need one for the pain) and I cannot drink water or rinse my mouth without a stinging pain. Worse, the dental clinic that I go to is closed on the weekends (today is Saturday)…and…on top of that, it is Memorial Day weekend. So, I have no choice but to wait at least two days just to make the appointment. How far can teeth shift in three/four days average? Also, I don’t know if any bits of my tooth were pulled off with the crown–I lost the evidence.
Like so many my crown, left lower bottom molar, jus came off. I called my dentist and will have it reattached in two days. this site sure was a handy find!
and many thanks to TOM the dental student who spent a lot of time responding to questions about detached crowns!
after reading many of the posts and tom’s responces I think I am doing the right things with my situation.
T. Howard in minneapolis
Hi, Tom
I’ve been feeling nervous, cos I’m going to get my two front teeth crowned tomorrow. I discussed with my dentist a few weeks earlier about how to have my teeth looked better. My two front teeth are dead, they got fixed many years ago. Now their colors change. I am not sure if crown teeth is the best way of all as I love my teeth and I’m afraid I’ll lose them in a short period of time, as I’ve read the messages above. Please advise, thank you.
Hi Socheata – A second opinion can usually help. There are lots of ways to change the color of teeth: whitening, bonding, veneers, and crowns. Without seeing the teeth, it’s hard to say if you have any other options aside from crowns. Good luck – let us know how it goes. Thanks for your comment!
Hi,Tom
Glade to see your reply, thanks. Your second options remind me of what I did to my teeth five years ago. I think they were veneers. My dentist removed my upper surface of my teeth and replaced with substance looked like real teeth. The thing is, my teeth now are dark colors with these veneers, I think. My dentist said, they’re from the inside, the colors. I remember I got my teeth fixed when I was only 12 or 13 years old. Now I’m 24.I was young and I did not know what would happened to them. I saw a hole in one of my teeth and I left it 1 or 2 years earlier,as I remember,before I got them fixed. I do regret now. To be honest, I’m living in a third world country.The time I got my teeth fixed, dental clinics were in low standard, I suppose. My country’s been developing.I would like to hear from you; you are one of western dentists, who I may not be able to meet here. Are crowns still the okay to me? Please advise, thanks.
I had a Crown fitting today and a temporary crown placed over the tooth/filling. Within 3 hours the temporary crown had come off.
It’s Friday evening and the Dentist can’t see me until Monday afternoon.
My questions are can I remove the temporary crown when eating (as I’m not comfortable eating with it on as it just works its way loose ) and then put the crown back over the tooth once I’ve cleaned the area. Is it OK to use Fixident (denture sealant) as a temporary measure?
Also as the temporary crown is loose how do I clean the temp crown and also the tooth underneath? Thanks for your help.
Where here is no trust there is no love.
Good article. I am going through a few of these issues as well..
Two crowns came out..one is on the upper right hand side and the other is on the upper left hand side.both are towards the back of my mouth and not noticeable..both came out while eating gummy bears which managed to loosen the crowns…both teeth had root canals and the crowns came out clean…I have what is left of both teeth…now I am supposed to see an oral surgeon since my dentist suggested the “root” be removed from both teeth…I am very concerned about this procedure and wondered if you can tell me what the procedure is and if it is going to be a major deal…otherwise, if it is not necessary I would like to just leave the areas alone
Hi, I Recently went to the dentist and found out that a silver cap that I have had for about 8 years, over a baby tooth, doesn’t have an adult tooth under it. So they are sending me to get a permanent crown on that tooth instead of the cap. What is the process for this? Is it painful?
About a year ago I felt my crown loose. It never fully popped off until today. I attempted to get it fixed a year ago but I lost my dental insurance. So it’s been on the back burner…. Being that it never came fully off. When it popped off today, the post and segment was attached to the crown. I got the crown back in place and it seems tight and back in place. i will be getting this fixed. Am I looking at a whole new crown or would they be able to salvage this one?
About 8 years ago I had a root canal done on one of my front teeth because i chipped my tooth. About 3 days ago i started noticing a bad smell coming from the crown that was placed over the tooth. This morning while eating, i felt a cracking sensation and all of a sudden the crown was very loose. Since its sunday i have not been able to see my dentist. Is this something that can be fixed easily? What could have caused this? I’m a little worried because i have a job interview this week and the tooth is very visible. Thank you so much!
If the crown falls off a week or two after it’s seating and the person is unable to find it – Is the dental office responsible or the person?
Hi Eric – That’s a tough one. If this happened to me, I would likely re-do the crown for free or simply have you pay the lab fee ($100-$200), depending on the circumstances of course.
Hello, my crown has fallen 4 times. I go to the doctors clinic and they keep
Fixing the problem but eventually it keeps fallen, what should I do, i wonder if
The Dr. Is doing something wrong plz help thanks
Hi Diego – If it has fallen off four times, there is likely something wrong with the crown or the way the tooth was prepared to hold the crown. You might try going to a different dentist for another opinion.
Excellent article, thanks. My dad broke his front tooth crown and of course, no dentist on duty Saturday.
Hi my daughter was eating and a few minutes later her cap started coming off but it’s halfway off and looks like half of the tooth is gone. What should I do because the dentist is gone for two days?
I wanted to know what it means if the tooth is completely black after having my crown fall out last night? I believe the crown is at least 3-5 years old. Does this mean the tooth is rotten?
Hi i have had root canal and crowning of 4 front teeth 5-6 years back recently my two crowns fell off and the teeth beneath also broke nearly to the gum line i have consulted few dentists majority told me to get implants but that too much expensive in my country 1 dentist told me that implant is not needed he can simply fix them by putting new crowns as my current crowns have been damaged but thats costly alsoo i am in fix cant decide should i wait for implant? or would this recrowning will do thr work for mee plz help mee
Thank you for your answers!
Dear Tom,
I had cavities in few teeth , consulted a dentist in India and he done with 6 RCF and cap. He told me that my ‘teeth are very small and that’s why crown can come out early’ is this right?
My crown of first premolar (upper)came out after just 3 months. now I am in CO/USA. M very tensed , what should I do now? can the same cap be fixed permanently or any other option..Plz help
Thanks
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Hi Tom,
I currently having a temporary crown at my molar teeth. However, the temporary crown have came out now. The earliest I can see my dentist is in 16 days. Is it OK to wait this long? What should I do now? Please reply me asap. Thanks! 🙂
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Hello Tom,
Wonderful site you have here. I’ve been skimming through this article and posts looking for any suggestions for my painful tooth.
Some info:
2009 I had a root canal and permanent crown placed on my lower right 2nd molar. I chronically have bruxism, which I believe is turning into TMJ syndrome. Thus, majority of my teeth are flat from chronic grinding. Last week, I started having sharp, shooting pain in the lower right 2nd molar, at the site of the crown & root canal. I made an appt with my dentist, who did an x-ray, and did not find any significant findings, aside from an impacted wisdom tooth growing on that side. At that time, I was not in much pain (probably since I was taking Motrin, which may have masked the pain). She thought it may had to do with the wisdom tooth causing the pain. However, while at work today, I was in more severe, throbbing pain that radiated to my lower jaw and right ear, causing tinnitus. And after playing around with the site, the crown fell off. I’ve noticed a piece of the porcelain on the posterior medial side of the crown is chipped; however, no other noticeable cracks in the internal crown. The exposed tooth is causing SEVERE pain of 8/10, unbearable, even with the use of NSAIDs. I have an appointment this upcoming Monday.
What would you think is the cause of it? Bacteria entering the tooth, loosening the crown and causing the pain? However, since I have a previous root canal, I would assume the tooth is “dead.” Also, what would you consider as my options?
Thank you so much! I appreciate your time & effort in answering our questions.
Hi – My crown just came out and it appears that there is only a shell of the outer part of my tooth left (not much at all). It feels very hollow inside and I think I had a root canal already on this tooth. I am worried. Of course it is a Friday too! Thanks for any advice you can give.
Hi Tom,
I had temporary crowns put on my two front teeth. The temporary has the two teeth stuck together as a unit. The temporary came off while eating tonight. My wife says that I must glue the temporary on immediately or bacteria will get in the tooth. There is no pain and no sensitivity to cold liquids. Can I wait until I get to the dentist to have the temporary glued on by them. I’m afraid that my glue job won’t be very effective and the crown will come off while I am sleeping and I will swallow it.
Thanks,
Peter
Hi,
Recently I have gone through RCT and capping on tooth (Right , Upper, 6th ) . The cap / crown is like ceramic on metal. Cementation has been done nearly 25 days back. Yesterday when I was chewing bread , felt some pressure on that tooth. after that I got doubt on my tooth cap , whether it was loosened or not. So, I checked it by putting my finger on the side of that tooth and pushing it . I checked several times again and again through out the day.and I found no movement of that. But I’m tensed that , whether pushing it again again will loosen the cap. Please help me on this.
and one more question , as it is upper tooth, is it possible that water or anything can go inside of the cap in this case?
Please let me know soon. I’m bit tensed.
Thanks,
Sam
i have a fly kind of denture that was pun in 19 years ago ( two metal at both side of a teeth that connet to two of my teeth) this fell out and dentist said he dont have the glue for this . What sould i do i went to the drugs store and baught a tem glue.
My crown fell off completely and when I went to the dentist the next day she said that it looks fine and that she will leave it the way it is so that it heals up. What do you think about that? Seems to me like she did not want to waste her time on me; most likely because I ran out of insurance.
Good Afternoon,
Two days ago I was eating and I heard a crack. Called my dentist bc one of my teeth felt loose, sure enough they believe my root cracked..They pulled the tooth out to get a better look. They said I will need to get my root pulled because there is a abscess on there and probably implant. In the meantime I am going out of the country and refuse to go tooth less, so ordered a flip. Any advice? I leave in two weeks should I wait until I get back to have the root removed or should I do that before. If they try to re cement will it stay?
I am going crazy, please help!
Thanks
Hi Lindsey – Your dentist is best able to answer that one. Anytime you leave a root in the mouth without a crown on it, it is susceptible to getting bacteria in it and causing an infection.
I just had a 3 year old crown come off while brushing my teeth. It popped right off. It doesn’t look like there’s any tooth in it, nor any post, just a solid silver filling like material, flat on the bottom of the crown. I had a root canal so no pain right now. I’m really upset that it only lasted 3 years. That’s over $350 per year! And now what? I rinsed it off and put it in a ziplock bag, but I’m 5,000 miles away from the dentist who made this. I won’t be back there until late November. Is it safe to go without it for that long? Or should I see a dentist here? I’ve read about temporary cements but none of them were rated very highly and since it’s a back tooth apparently there is a big chance that I could end up swallowing it in my sleep, so that doesn’t seem like a good option.
Hi Kim – If there is the start of decay underneath it, then it could be much worse by November. It would be probably be best to find a local dentist to see if they can recement it. The recementation fee is usually fairly inexpensive.
Good luck!
Hi Tom,
I had a bridge (two front teeth) and it felt off a few months ago – one crown was broken and one came off with a mental rod in it. I went to the dentist and they cemented it back to me as a temporary solution. It came off today again and I am very desperate. I am going to have an appointment with the dentist to have a new bridge done in December. Just want to ask your opinion whether I should have the dentists to re-cement the bridge temporarily or should I go to the chemist and buy the cement and glue it back by myself. The cement done by the dentist will not stay well in its place either because part of the bridge is broken already. Thank you for your site, I highly appreciate it.
Hi Tom ,
Its a wonderful site. Hope you will answer my question too.
I have Crown in my upper front four teeth . I went through this process on 1s of Aug. after 1 and half month one of my crown came off . I got it fixed on that day itself but from that day the fear of my crown coming off is every day in my mind. Now a days when I roll my finger over my crowns I could observe that a different kind of bad smell comes and I could feel that my saliva is more sticky . I asked my dentist but he says that everything is fine .
Could you please answer me that is this a normal or there is some problem with my crowns ?
i have four crowns in my upper front tooth that was just replaced and every few weeks they get loose and fall out, what could be the problem, three of the crowns have a post the fourth does not
I agree with everyone about this thread. It’s more informative than any site I’ve checked so far so bless your heart for taking the time to reply to all these comments. I got most of my answers from reading your replies, thank you. However, I do have a question. My back molar tooth has a crown that keeps falling out because there isn’t enough tooth structure to hold it. I have already spent $5000 on that tooth getting root canal, gum surgery for cementing the crown and getting a second crown by a different dentist etc. My new crown fell out again. Without going through “implant” or “post and crown” procedure, would the remainder of that tooth get infected with time (since the protective layer is gone)? And would my other teeth shift? What other alternative (besides pulling it) is there to protect what is left of that tooth, if any? What is your recommendation? I have had bad experiences with partial denture, bridge and post. I take a good care of my teeth, floss and brush regularly, and avoid sticky and hard food.
Good Morning Doc,
Just wanted to really thank you so much for your website and your comments. My front porcelain cap fell out last night as I was flossing. I “freaked out”! This has always been one of my worst nightmares… my teeth falling out. LOL! So in zombie mode, I pushed it back in, got our of the shower, got dressed, and sat on my bed. Felt lost and alone! ( I know it’s crazy bc to many it’s just a tooth but to me, it means way much more) Anyway… I got on the internet and BAM! You were there! As I read your comments, I started to feel as ease and understood that this is common and can easily be fixed. So I thank you again for your help!
My questions… When I call the dentist that put this cap on, will they charge me to recement it? I no longer go to him and my insurance has changed so it won’t be covered. Is it safe to go to any dentist or is it best to go to the dentist that put it on?
Hi my 3 year old had white caps put on her front teeth when she was 18months old. Well I noticed today that one of the caps is loose, she fell yesterday and hit her mouth so I think this is how it became loose. How would he dentist fix it or would he have to pull it.
Here’s the questionPart of the crown on my back upper tooth, fell off while I was eating, very small. No pain, no swelling, no decrease in function.My question: Will I be more prone to infection now,the dentist showed me that the cement is still there, but will food and bacteria work its way down and start decay. I asked him if the tooth was decayed, and with all the x-rays you would have thought he could have given me a clear yes or no answer but said he didn’t know. The crown has lasted approx 15 years and I remember the dentist saying you have very little tooth for this crown to adhere to. 2nd question: There is a lot going on in the upper back of my mouth, fillings in 3 teeth, 1 root canal and 1 crown. Everything packed in pretty tight. I’m concerned that with removing the old cement and maybe grinding out portion of decayed tooth, it will shake a lot of other things loose. I am 62 years old and only have 22 teeth left, the upper left is all I have to chew on, I have tried dental implants, the dentist burned my bone, sad it was the hardest bone he had ever drilled through and implant wouldn’t bond, several months, infections and antibiotics later it was removed. Can I just leave it alone, until the rest of the crown falls off, or I start feeling pain or inflammation. It is not unsightly, nor is it inflammed nor does it hurt. Its been a year since it fell off. 3rd question: shouldn’t a dentist be able to tell if there is decay in the tooth where part of the crown fell off?Thank you again for this wonderful website.
Here’s the question Part of the crown on my back upper tooth, fell off while I was eating, very small. No pain, no swelling, no decrease in function.My question: Will I be more prone to infection now,the dentist showed me that the cement is still there, but will food and bacteria work its way down and start decay?. I asked him if the tooth was decayed, and with all the x-rays you would have thought he could have given me a clear yes or no answer but said he didn’t know. The crown has lasted approx 15 years and I remember the dentist saying you have very little tooth for this crown to adhere to.
2nd question: There is a lot going on in the upper back of my mouth, fillings in 3 teeth, 1 root canal and 1 crown. Everything packed in pretty tight. I’m concerned that with removing the old cement and maybe grinding out portion of decayed tooth, it will shake a lot of other things loose. I am 62 years old and only have 22 teeth left, the upper left is all I have to chew on, I have tried dental implants, the dentist burned my bone, sad it was the hardest bone he had ever drilled through and implant wouldn’t bond, several months, infections and antibiotics later it was removed. So can I just leave this chipped crown alone, until the rest of the crown falls off, or I start feeling pain or inflammation. It is not unsightly, nor is it inflammed nor does it hurt. Its been a year since it fell off.
3rd question: should a dentist be able to tell if there is decay in the tooth where part of the crown fell off?Thank you again for this wonderful website.
Hello Tom
Thank you for this web page; it is great! And now I am going to add to the questions…..(please!).
A crown in my top set of teeth fell out last week. I got it re cemented but the crown is not sitting correctly, but protruding below my line of teeth a little. When I eat, I can no longer close my jaw so that both sides of my teeth break up the food, because the side with the re fixed crown (left side) now hits the bottom teeth first, leaving a few mm gap in the right. I am worried the unbalanced eating will result in jaw ache and maybe fractured lower teeth where the ceramic crown is constantly hitting down on it.
What are my options as I imagine taking the crown off is not an option given the strong cement used.
Thank you in advance.
Sarah
I used a water jet floss and one of my crows fell off. I had 6 individual crowns next to each other done just 6 months ago. Just wanted to let people know that water floss can be a bad idea for crowns!…
I have a temporary crown that my doctor recemented in after a permenant crown didn’t look right. I was supposed to go in lest Friday to get the permanent crown in but the doctor hadn’t received it yet Noe the front half of my temporary crown has broken off. I can stick it back on but I’m not sure if I should just go in for a new temp. Or wait until I get my permenant on, likely this Friday, help?
Hi,my 2 front teeth was been crowned in the 1st month it still white but in the end it became black.What should I do?I still wear my crown and it has black.Its really visible.I wear it almost 1 year.
Thanks.
my two front teethe have root canals and were crowned about 10 years ago i dont have many back molers. I have currently gone to a dentist that has replaced both front porcelain and if I may add they were very pretty. I have been having problems with one that has fallen twice my toothe does not look black under and Im wondering is it that maybe its not sitting right I did not have any issues before on my last teethe but I did not wear a partial either for my back molers on top. My dentist just put on the crown again and it has gotten loose not completely off yet I already set appt to be seen.
Finding a reliable local cosmetic dentist in San Ramon is a much more difficult task I than expected it would be.
It has been extremely difficult to locate an outstanding dentist in Pleasanton. I am totally open to suggestions.
It has been extremely difficult to locate an outstanding cosmetic dentist in Elk Grove. I am totally open to suggestions.
Hi I have a crown with a metal post on one of my front teeth, whilst eating a sandwich tonight it came out. This has happened in the past but it slots back in the hole and I phone the dentist to get it cemented but tonight it does fit all the way back into the hole. Is this just as the dentist needs to clean the hole or am I likely to have fractured it? Lower front tooth it is very embarrassing.
My Dentist is a very nice doctor, but it’s been 3 months and I still dealing with the same problem.im been waiting
on a flip or a snap on for at lease 3mos. the office call me and said it was in. Came to find out it was made wrong
so we did another impression . then girl came me my tooth in my hand and said it will be reordered I told her I’m not leaving this office with tooth in my hand.
Hi this is Paul I commented on another page, about a ceramic crown that feels loose it is my left third tooth I got the 2 years ago I think and it has never felt right there is a tiny gap I told my dentist about this but they said it was fine.
It does not feel fine I need help. The crown feels loose but it has always been this way but I just now noticed it, is there a problem or not please please please get back with me on this
I have wrong alighment of teeth……what should I do replaced my tooth or braces
A small cap fell off my upper cuspid. Can I have the dentist just fill it in in one appointment instead of going through the whole process of grinding it down or replacing it with a crown. Its on the top front area, its really small about 0.030 in diameter?
Thanks for letting me know what to do if my dental crown falls off! This happened to me today and I had no idea how to cement it back until I could get to the dentist. Do you have any experience with dental implants or know if these are a sturdier option than crowns?
Ideally you should see your dentist straight away to get the crown properly fixed back into place, but this is not always possible depending on the circumstances. Your dentist may have a busy schedule and not be able to fit you in straight away or you may not be able to easily get to him. Usually, however, you can get an appointment within a day or two and in the meantime you could clean and sterilize the cap with some Milton solution and then dry it and put it safely into a small container.
Click on my name for instructions on how to recement a temporary crown. There is also an instructional video there.
Hi,
I had a crown put on my upper left molar; 14 I think is its designation. This was done about this time in… 2007 or 2008, I forget. Either way, it’s been a long time. The crown was for a root canal for a tooth that had basically rotted away so much that it broke when I ate something. We really couldn’t afford the dentist, so I had to deal with the broken tooth until suddenly the pain started– and it remained at a 10 the entire time I had to deal with it. So, I got a permanent crown as per normal procedure and was fine for about three years. I then noticed that my upper gum was a bit tender (not really in any pain) and swollen, so back in I went. I had to have the crown drilled into (and right up into the tooth…again). Come to find out, I had a pretty nasty abscess. In 2012, my crown popped off one day while I was eating some almonds, and i had my (new) dentist fuss at me because the crown was ill-fit. He glued it back in, but said I’d need a new crown. Unfortunately, I simply cannot afford one.
I’ve been worrying my face off lately because my crown feels… odd. Like it *could* pop off if I do something even slightly out of line. The gum is swollen a little around it on the side where the wisdom tooth lies, but I’m terrified to floss the area. I’m trying another new dentist (the last one was a bit inconsiderate considering i have some pretty nasty anxiety that hasn’t been helped by the amount of dental troubles I’ve had), but he can’t see me until next monday. Is there anything I can be doing? Should I be flossing that tooth anyway, and just grab some RiteAid cement if it pops off? The less I can leave that area exposed, the better.
Also, as I’ve just remembered– This whole time when I DO floss that tooth, I will bleed everywhere. I’ve had poor dental hygiene in the past (when one is depressed the last thing on the mind is tooth care), but I’ve brushed and flossed every single day without fail for over a year now. The gum around that tooth will bleed pretty much every night I floss, and sometimes when I brush my teeth. Is the gum just aggravated, or have I had a chronic infection for the last forever?
Thanks for your post. I don’t think I would be brave enough to try and cement my crown back in my mouth. However, if I was not able to see my dentist right away it might be the best option. Would it be OK if I were to go see an emergency dentist if I couldn’t meet with my regular dentist?
i got trauma, falled down on my face my upper 21 incisor is slightly broken,#crown 11,root # 12…what will be the line of treatment?my dentist says rct and post and core for 11,extraction and implant for 12.is this correct line of treatment?
My crown fell off and it feels weird what should I do any info
My crown tooth fell out wheni chewing the hot tamples candy. I called the office and they told me Monday morning that I visit them. My question is what should I eat on Sunday? Can I eat anything or can’t?
I have braces, and when I was yawning, my herps appliance pulled my crown off. I’m trying to get into the orthodontist, but I have lunch before then. How, and what, should I eat?
Just last week, my son came up to me about losing his crowns. When he told me this, I was quite worried because the dentist placed those on his teeth about a month ago now. It seems like the crown must have not stuck on to his mouth very well.
Hello,
My crown came off with my tooth inside. I had to get the rest of my tooth extracted, however I do still have the crown. Can I somehow reuse the crown for the same area? I was a perfect fit 🙁 can they connect it to a bridge?
Hi what if the crown came of if the dentis was checking your teeth and the crowns
A part of my front tooth has been broken, but only the enamel. What should I do to fix this? If you want I can send you my teeth picture.
Hi Tom,
It makes my heart so happy to find webpages like yours. It really restores faith that yeah, dentists do care about helping patients not just making money. Besides knowing how grueling doing dental work is. I would love to work in dentistry , but i know my hands and they would go numb doing this kind of work. So thank you again!! You are awesome!
P. S. If i could do dentistry i would open an office and name it Carries dental lol. 39 years old and i never knew the word caries. Just cavities. 1
Thank you for mentioning Recapit. My crown just fell off and I have been panicking about how I am going to eat for the next few days. I am going to go to WalGreens right now and pick it up. It’s not too expensive is it?
I never knew that something like Recapit Temporary Crown Cement existed. My sister’s crown just fell out and she has been freaking out since we won’t be able to get to the dentist until tomorrow. I think we will take a quick trip downtown and see if they have some available! Thanks for the great information.
Hi Tom,
I hope you’re well.
I wondered if you could help please… I have a loose crown and I’m dreading it coming off!! My dentist said I have to simply wait, as if he forces it off to then re glue it, it could damage the little tooth underneath. I understand this, but is there really nothing that can be done to tighten it? It’ll be so embarrassing when it comes off. The tooth underneath was so ugly, brown and decayed (I’m ashamed to say), that I couldn’t go out without the crown. And getting an appointment is always such a long wait. I’d hugely appreciate any advice… Many thanks, Cat
I had a root canal and a crown was placed. Its been less than a year and the crown has fallen out twice. I recently went to the dentist since my crown and post came off. Dentist said my tooth is so thin and not enough tooth to put the crown back. She is giving me the option of removing the tooth and either get a bridge, inplant or nothing. I had to get a credit card to pay for the root canal and crown and now i wont be able to even use the crown im still paying for. I know the crown has a 5 year warranty is there anything i can do or say to get this resolved. I do not want to pay 3k-5k for an inplant thats money i dont have and still paying for that dumb crown i dont longer have
Thanks..
Hi my son has two caps in his mouth. One of them became really loose while eating. I wiggled it with my finger and it moves around. I’m hoping he isn’t going to swallow it while sleeping. He’s had them both for about 2 years now. The dentist said when he got then in that they shouldn’t come out until he’s 11 or 12 years old. He’s 8 yrs old now. I don’t know what to do. The dentist is 3 hrs away. But it’s to late to go there now.
Hi Tom : I asked you some questions ,did you get them? or should I repeat my questions once more time?
Thank you
Fred
Hi Tom
My questions were:
-What questions should I ask an implant surgoen to find out if:
-1 He is enough exprienced and profissional for doing implant ?
-2 The price queted by different dentists vary from $1400.0 to $3500.0 /each . What factors affect the price differences and why?.
-3 Are material qualities of implants roads different? What kind of materials ( might Brand) are resonable in quality and price?
4-What informations are needed before doing implant?
Thank You
Fred
I do agree with all the ideas you have presented in your post. They’re really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are very short for newbies. Could you please extend them a little from next time?..Keep this great work..
My grand ma had a same problem what you have mentioned above, due to old age factor doctors are not permitted to put a crown, is there any other suggestions please tell about that.
I don’t really know what to do. My crown fell out after only 3 weeks. I am so upset. I did not eat anything hard or sticky. What can I do. Will this reoccur.
This morning though it felt loose, and then when I bit on the pretzel it popped off. So obviously I need to get this fixed, whats the best way to have this done, and how much does it cost to get the permanent caps done and made, at a new dentist, thank you!
Hi. My dear brother is having a problem with his post and crown -actually, as I did last year, and a dentist got the crown fixed to the place as it was before. It had fallen totally (the post & crown all together with a dark hallow space beneath) off of my upper jaw premolar when I was having a piece of chocolate.
yet my brother’s visa to the United States is ready now, and he will get no time at all to go to a dentist right away in the city he lives at the time
So, does it bear any risks to fall off during a sleep, please? I’m so scared, much more than I’m anxious about my own crown and post re-fixed.
Also, please tell me dear Tom, is there any dentistry insurances available in the U.S. for a PhD degree candidate, as my brother is? What should we do if it takes so much time to fix it when he has the tickets to fly this Thursday, Jan.12th? Best regards, Thank You so much!
If it falls off during sleep, there is slight chance of what is called aspiration. Basically instead of swallowing it, it could down into the lungs instead. This is pretty dangerous and would surgery require surgery to remove it. Again, this is only a very small chance, but it does happen occasionally. I personally would leave it out until it gets fixed.
I concur with everybody about this string. It’s more useful than any site I’ve checked so far so favor your heart for setting aside the opportunity to answer to every one of these remarks. I found the majority of my solutions from perusing your answers, much obliged.
My son is 4 he just got caps on the front of his teeth he was playing and fell now it looks like the cap went deeper into his gums what should i do
My gold crown, fitted to my back upper right molar which had previously been root canaled, came off. Since I already had a cleaning appointment coming up in a month, I just left the crown off. There was not much left of that molar above the gum line, so when the crown was originally attached, a couple of posts were put in. The crown came lose about 2 months prior to it falling out, but I just chewed on the other side and it stayed in until it fell out at the end of Jan. (2017). When I went in for my appointment, the dentist said that tissue had grown over the crown area. She did an x-ray, and one of the roots had cracked. She thought there was no way the crown was going to ever be able to hold in again. She trimmed away the tissue and tried to apply a cement base, with intentions of building it up when I come back to get the molar on the upper left side prepped for a crown. The next day, her temporary sealer fell off. With little to work with, she said it might be my best option to have an oral surgeon remove the tooth. Just wondering if you have any ideas I could share with her.
I have a crown on one of my premolars, it so happens that a few days ago i noticed it had become loose, i thought the crown was becoming detached to the post so i figured i’ll just get temorary cement at the local pharmacy store and try to recement it till i can see my dentist, but to my surprise as i was eating dinner i felt the crown in my mouth so i took it out and looked at it and noticed the the post and some of the tooth was still intacted with the crown. What do you think can be done now that part of the tooth structure supprting the post and core is no longer there. Is crown lenghtening an considerable option? Please help.
It is Saturday night, and I can’t find a dentist with an opening until Tuesday. I lost a crown, and the tooth is very sensitive. I also grind my teeth in my sleep. I am terrified of using temporary glue because I’m afraid the crown won’t come off again without a lot of pain (it is a monolithic zirconia crown). I am terrified of leaving it off because my tooth is so sensitive to air, and I worry that I will grind on the exposed dentin at night or that my night guard will put pressure on the exposed tooth making it hurt. What should I do?!
Hi—
My crown fell out last night while I was cookin. Opening a macaroni cheese packet it fell unto the counter and I was devastated. How could it fall out from something so trivial, but not from a fist, bat, or anything else? I’ve had the crown since 2002, on my front tooth. I can put it back in but, can’t really talk or chew. What should I do? Please respond!
My crown fell off I tried temporary cement it wouldn’t hold. It’s been 4 days and my gums are growing around my tooth! What should I do until I can get to the dentist?
Hi my Crown was fitted about 37 years ago and it came out a couple of times but was put back in by the dentist however last time it fel out it could not be replaced as the post as worn away. This was 8 weeks ago ivam having the stumpband post removed at Guys Hospital on Friday morning. I am worried as the post and stump are now very dark and i am worried this may be making me ill I have horrendous aches and pains all down my left side my teeth jaw neck shoulder and shin, the stump is on the Right could this be caused by an infection I had RF when I was 16 and was told to take antibiotic when ever I have dental treatment the reason I am having this done in hospital is because I suffer from A low platlet count could these symptom be caused by the crown metal work that is exposed in my mouth.
I might need to have a dental crown put on. It makes sense that I would want to know what to do if it falls off! I’ll make sure that I contact my dentist if that happens.
Hi Tom, Bit of a puzzle for you.
I had a crown put on my rear molar several years ago.(7) It has been in place and all fine but this evening I was brushing my teeth after dinner and I felt something in my mouth back by the crown. At first it felt like a piece of nylon from the tooth brush, but I later realized it is much too long for that. It is stuck there and does not want to come free. I am reluctant to pull on it as I don’t know what it is or where it came from. It is a dark blue green color piece of nylon like floss, It is quite stiff, more like a fishing line than floss.. The crown feels okay and has not come off. Any Ideas as to what might be going on? I am baffled. Hope you can help.
Thanks a lot for any insight.
James