Lost Crown, Lost filling, or broken tooth.

So you’ve been enjoying something delicious and all of a sudden felt something crunchy! Then you realise your tooth has broken or your crown has come off! What do you do when your dental practice is closed?

What you need…

If it is a crown, firstly check you still have the crown and keep it safe, if the crown fits back into place you will need; some dental cement from your local pharmacy, your toothbrush and paste, floss, a paperclip or something similar, a tooth pick and clean tissue.

What to do to re-cement a crown…

1. Firstly give the crown a good clean (make sure if you’re washing it in the sink that the plug is in!). Check the crown over, as long as it is mostly hollow, you can attempt to re-cement it at home.
2. Remove any debris from the crown, there will probably be some old cement on it which can be scraped off (the tip of a paper clip or similar should work). Clean your tooth thoroughly. All debris must be removed from both the tooth and the crown for it to fit back on properly.
3. Before using the cement, check the crown fits, bite together gently when it’s on to see your bite feels correct. If it doesn’t feel right – too high? It isn’t fitting properly so check again for debris. NEVER force the crown or post onto or into the tooth, this can cause the root to fracture. If you cannot get it to fit then keep the crown somewhere safe, and make sure you keep the tooth clean, until you can visit your dentist.
4. To cement the crown back you must use a Dental cement like toofy pegs or dentek from a pharmacy. DO NOT USE SUPERGLUE or FIXADENT to fit your crown.
5. Once you’ve had a bit of a practice placing the crown, your ready to do it properly. Dry the tooth and the crown, mix the cement as instructed on the packet and fill the crown. Place the crown directly onto the tooth. Bite firmly to press it into place.
6. Remove any excess cement with a toothpick and floss between your teeth, to make sure they don’t stick together.

What to do to replace a lost filling or broken tooth…

1. Firstly give the hole in the tooth a good clean with a tooth brush and and any small interdental brushes you may have. Then rinse with mouthwash or water to get rid of as much debris as possible.
2. Different temporary filling materials will be prepared in different ways. Some are pre – mixed and some require adding 2 materials to each other and mixing together before placement, so make sure you read the instrutions carefully.
3. Once in place most temporary filling materials will be quite soft to begin with. Make sure you can bite together once it is in place by closing your teeth together. You may need to remove any excess around the edges after you do this to prevent any sharp edges once it has set. You can use a tooth pic or your finger to do this.
4. It is best to avoid eating for about 60 minutes after placement of the temporary filling so that the material is set.
5. It is important to remember that even once set these materials are not as strong as defintive filling so a soft diet is advised whilst waiting for a dental appointment.