What to Do If You Get a Loose Crown — Symptoms and Solutions

Can a Loose Crown Be Repaired? When to Seek Emergency Dental Services

If you find yourself on the north shore of Chicago with a loose crown, we recommend heading to an emergency dentist in Skokie as soon as possible. After all, if your crown comes off, you run the risk of swallowing it and exposing the sensitive tooth it sits upon.

Remember: to get that crown, the tooth underneath it had to be reshaped. That would have involved stripping it of the layer of enamel that usually protects the sensitive dentine underneath. Losing the dental crown would expose the remnant of the original tooth to external influences.

Since dentine is extremely porous, the bacteria that live on your teeth would have no trouble burrowing through it and into the pulpy core of your tooth. From there, it would get into your gums, jaw bone, and bloodstream without any problem. So if you don’t want to get a serious infection with all the symptoms that come with it, you should see a walk-in dentist as soon as you notice that your permanent crown feels loose.

Generally, most dental restorations require some amount of maintenance. Ideally, your dentist would check in on your fillings, crowns, and veneers during your regular visits. Still, not all of us can stay on track with our regular dentist appointments.

So your crown might have come loose because you skipped a few sessions. Of course, there are other things that could cause a loose crown.

What Can Cause a Loose Crown?

Ultimately, if your permanent or temporary crown is loose, there has to be a reason. When you first got the crown, your dentist would have used a strong cement to affix the cap to your tooth or dental implant. So one potential answer to our main question is that the crown might have come loose before the cement had a chance to set. But what else could have loosened its grip?

Well, to begin with, it might have something to do with cavities. Decay could alter the shape of the tooth under the crown, causing the restoration to loosen or fall off. On top of that, any kind of trauma or impact to the jaw could dislodge the tooth. Furthermore, even grinding or clenching your teeth could make the crown come loose.

Then again, sometimes a dental crown disconnects without any external influences whatsoever. As we age, our gums recede, which may leave the edge of the crown exposed. That would allow bacteria to get on the tooth and generally mess up the fit of the cap.

If the tooth crown is already loosened, it won’t take much for it to slip off. For example, a stronger adhesive substance like caramel could take it off. At that point, it’s best to seek out emergency dental care as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, people don’t even notice that their tooth crowns are wobbly until it’s too late. At best, they might feel some discomfort as cavities burrow deeper into the tooth under the crown. So let’s talk about how to recognize that you’re experiencing a dental emergency.

Loose Crown Symptoms to Look Out For

As we have established, the main purpose of a crown is to ensure the safety of the tooth underneath it. They are generally used to cover a chipped tooth or one that is already structurally compromised in another way. However, if the crown isn’t properly affixed, it won’t be able to protect the tooth.

In this case, our main concern will be potential tooth decay. If you allow cavities to wreak havoc on the tooth under the crown, the dentist may end up having to take it out and replace it with a more permanent implant. We’re talking about screw-in dental implants that require a built-in post where the root of your tooth should be. If that’s not something you want to have, pay attention to the following loose crown symptoms:

• Sensitivity to sweet, hot, and cold foods
• Swelling of the gums
• Pain when biting down
• Fever

Sensitivity and pain are both indicators that the tooth decay has exposed the nerves in the pulpy core of the tooth under the crown. That’s why we tend to feel these same sensations when we have a broken tooth! However, fever would be a sign of a more serious infection.

So what are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable while you wait for your emergency dentist appointment?

Painkillers to Tide You Over Until You Can Get Help

If you’re having a tooth emergency and you can’t wait to see your dentist, you should try to alleviate your symptoms any way you can. Some over-the-counter medications might come in handy, but they aren’t your only option. You can also rinse your mouth with saltwater to reduce inflammation.

Some people also use various herbal remedies such as applying clove, garlic, ginger, or chamomile directly to the tooth. Whatever pain medicine you choose, make sure to steer clear of foods and actions that could trigger other symptoms. Avoid foods that are overly sweet and don’t drink cold or hot beverages.

If your condition is worsening because you’re continuously clenching or grinding your jaw, you might want to use mouth guards. While a dentist could customize one for you, there are plenty of moldable over-the-counter products you could use instead. Most people who grind their teeth do so in their sleep, so just wear the mouth guard at night.

Lastly, you could also try using desensitizing toothpaste while you’re waiting for your dental appointment. However, you should make plans to visit a dentist as soon as you realize that your crown has shifted. That being said, let’s talk about what the average crown replacement procedure entails.

How Can a Loose Crown Be Repaired? Professional Dental Solutions

If a patient walks into a dental office with a loose but not detached crown, they can expect the crown to be removed and reset. So what does that look like? Well, the first thing a dentist would do is numb the area with a local anesthetic to make sure the patient won’t feel any pain during the procedure.

After the patient loses feeling in the tooth, the dentist will proceed to remove the original crown. If there’s nothing wrong with it, they’ll clean off the cement from the inside of the crown and reattach it after removing any decay from the tooth itself.

Alternatively, if the crown is unusable, the dentist would take impressions of your teeth and send them to a dental lab that would then create a replacement crown. However, since that process can take several days, the dentist would also put in a temporary crown. Of course, some dental offices also offer the option of same-day dental crown replacements.

Don’t Wait to Seek Out Emergency Dental Services!

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, you can read about dental crowns on dental-matters.com. We also recommend getting in touch with a dentist if you’re unsure about any part of the process. Knowing how it’ll all go down will save you hours of worry!

If you have a loose crown, you’re working against the clock. Before you know it, bacteria will get on your tooth and jaw bone — so don’t wait until you catch a fever to seek help.