Crowns and bridges are two of the most commonly utilized procedures for replacing lost or fractured teeth. A crown or bridge can last 5-10 years or longer with adequate care, but there is a chance that your restorative equipment will get dislodged, fractured, or fall out. A lost crown or bridge, whether caused by chewing, trauma, or another reason, is a dental emergency that must be addressed as quickly as possible.
Here are some pointers from the Premier Periodontics team on what to do if your crown or bridge falls out and how to care for your mouth until you can see a dentist.
How Does Restorative Dentistry Work?
When you get a crown put on a damaged tooth, your dentist will grind away a part of the tooth’s external surface to make room for the appliance. After the tooth has been prepped, the crown will be attached with a strong adhesive. Bridges function similarly, except that they are used to replace numerous teeth that are next to one another. In the case of a bridge, the anchor points for the appliance will be healthy teeth on either side of the gap.
Because the surfaces of your teeth must be ground down in order to install a crown or bridge, they are very vulnerable when appliances come out. If you do not rapidly reset the appliance.
Have you lost a crown or a bridge? Make a Dental Appointment Immediately
When a restorative item, such as a crown or bridge, falls off, the first step is to call your dentist and schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If you were successful in locating the appliance, keep it and bring it with you to your appointment. If it’s in good condition, your dentist should be able to reset it easily. Even if the appliance is damaged, your dentist will analyze it to determine what happened. Don’t worry if you ingested the appliance; you should be able to pass it without incident.
Keep the area clean while you wait for your dental appointment to avoid any harm to the underlying tooth and root. If you still have the appliance, you may be able to temporarily reset it with denture adhesive. If you lose or swallow the appliance, denture adhesive can be used to cover and preserve the exposed tooth. Only use denture adhesive; other adhesives may be hazardous or interfere with your dentist’s ability to fix the appliance.
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