Temporary dental crowns aren’t designed to last long since they are only needed for a week or two. Since temporary crowns aren’t made from very strong materials, it is possible for them to fall out prematurely. If your temporary crown ever pops out, our team at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights recommends the following.

Remove The Temporary Crown Completely

You risk swallowing the crown or aspirating it into your lungs if it is partially dislodged and you keep it in your mouth while you eat or speak. The first step that Dr. Christopher Green, an emergency dentist in Parker, CO, recommends is that you take out the temporary crown from your mouth. Removing it also prevents the germs that are on that crown from spreading to any damaged tissues at the site of the dislodged temporary crown.

Rinse Your Mouth

It is possible that the detached temporary crown may have left shards in your mouth. For this reason, the experts at Dental One Care recommend that you rinse your mouth so that you remove those shards if they are present.

Examine Your Tooth

If you can, look at the tooth from which the temporary crown has popped. See if you can locate any areas of the tooth that are damaged. If you can’t inspect it visually, you can gently run your tongue over the surface of the tooth. If there are jagged edges, make a mental note of the location of those sharp or jagged edges. This information will be vital in the next step that your Sterling Heights dentists recommend that you take.

Contact Your Sterling Heights Dentist

After examining your tooth, contact us immediately and explain your dental emergency to your Sterling Heights dentist. If you noticed jagged edges when you examined your tooth, let the dentist know. Dr. Fardi Farhat will get you in ASAP so he can fix the temporary crown before further damage occurs.

Clean the Dental Crown

After talking to an emergency dentist, proceed to the step of cleaning the popped temporary crown. Use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub the crown. While at it, you should also ensure that you clean the place in your mouth from where the temporary crown popped out of.

While You Wait to See Dr. Farhat

Depending on the specific instructions that you were given when you called Dental One Care, you may need to reattach the temporary crown. This step is necessary because the preparations done on your tooth to get it ready for the permanent crown need to be protected from being compromised. Additionally, the tooth is weaker because of the enamel that was removed, so having the temporary crown in place shields that tooth from damage. To put it back, buy over-the-counter dental cream and first place the crown on the tooth to confirm that you have got the position of the crown right. You can then follow the usage instructions provided on the package of the dental cream to reattach the crown.

Gently bite down on the crown to be sure that you placed it back correctly. If it feels strange or uncomfortable, then you may have positioned it incorrectly.

Why Do Temporary Crowns Fall Out?

Sterling Heights dentists explain that temporary crowns can fall out for a variety of reasons that are connected to either the underlying tooth or the temporary crown itself. The retention of the temporary crown largely depends on the integrity of the tooth structure surrounding the crown. Dr. Fardi Farhat specifically singles out heavy teeth grinding, trauma and tooth decay as the most common reasons why temporary and permanent crowns will pop out.

If none of those factors are found responsible for the falling out of your temporary crown, then the adhesive used to attach that crown could have failed and left the temporary crown loose.

When you call Sterling Heights Dentist, Dr. Farhat, he will assess the popped out temporary crown and determine if it can be repaired and reattached or a replacement one needs to be made. Follow all the temporary crown care instructions that our experts give you and you will have no problem until it is time to get the permanent crown.