San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, CA
Holiday gatherings and parties are around the corner. With the holiday spirit comes a food bounty that can make the biggest foodie jump for joy. Unfortunately, dental work can disrupt your wonderful evening when you realize you have a dental crown that becomes loose or falls off of your tooth. Some patients who experience this type of dental emergency are unaware of the proper steps to get a tooth repaired. Therefore, our experienced San Francisco family dentists at Glen Park Dental share on the blog today what to do if a crown pops off during the holidays so that you can restore your smile and self-confidence.
Dental Crowns and How They Work
Dental crowns are robust porcelain caps shaped and colored like your surrounding teeth to restore the tooth’s structure and biting ability. Our family dentists in Marin may recommend dental crowns to repair severely damaged, broken, or decayed teeth. While dental crowns are robust and can reduce your tooth loss risk, they are not impervious to damage. However, when you crack a crown at a holiday gathering, you may experience pain similar to a toothache, swelling, or a heightened sensitivity to hot or cold, unless the tooth had a root canal previously.
When a Dental Crown Cracks
Whether you are home or away for the holidays, a cracked dental crown demands a visit to an Oakland emergency dentist for assessment and repairs. By immediately addressing the broken crown, you could avoid damaging the underlying tooth. When speaking with the dentist, make sure you are truthful about your pain level. Then, until your dental appointment, follow the tips below to help you manage discomfort and reduce other tooth or gum damage.
- If possible, visually inspect the chipped crown area. Remove loose or broken pieces from your mouth to prevent choking and avoid reattaching broken pieces or placing the loose crown back on your tooth.
- Gently rub your tongue over the affected tooth surface and note sharp edges that may cause tongue or cheek injuries. If there are no sharp edges (and you are not experiencing any pain), you may not need emergency dental care but could wait to visit your Bay Area dentist during regular office hours.
- Stay ahead of pain caused by a cracked or broken dental crown. Most patients find discomfort relief with a common over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The pain relief may be temporary, but it can make the situation manageable until you visit our San Francisco dental office for repairs. However, when you experience extreme sensitivity, intense pain, or significant bleeding, you should immediately seek professional care from a local emergency dentist near you in San Francisco.
- When your crown cracks or comes off, please do not attempt to reattach it to your natural tooth, as it could cause additional damage or you could swallow it. Instead, place the piece(s) in a small, sealed container or plastic bag, and bring the crown with you to your appointment. There is a chance that the crown can be reattached without additional treatments. However, if the underlying tooth has broken or is damaged, a new crown is likely needed. Finally, try to avoid chewing where the crown broke until you visit a dentist.
Emergency Dentists in Marin, Oakland, and San Francisco, California
It’s never convenient or timely when you have defective dental work. However, it can be more than an inconvenient situation when something happens while out of town for the holidays. Therefore, when you follow the above tips, you can determine if you need immediate dental assistance or wait until you return home. Call our Marin emergency dentists at Glen Park Dental at (415) 585-1500 or contact us online to receive treatment. Whether you are a resident of the Marin, Oakland, or San Francisco communities or are visiting our beautiful cities, we welcome you to our office!
