Cracked a Dental Crown? Here’s What to Do

You’re hanging out with your friends and chowing down on some delicious chips. Out of nowhere, you hear a louder crunch than you should. Something moves around in your mouth. You spit out your mouthful into your hand to discover a piece of your crown has chipped off! What should you do in this situation? A dentist is here to talk about cracked dental crowns in Far North Dallas.

How Can a Crown Crack?

Your natural teeth are strong and, depending on their composition, dental crowns can be strong as well. Obviously, accidents can and do happen, though. A crown most often breaks from:

• Crunching down on hard food
• Everyday wear and tear
• Teeth grinding or clenching, also known as bruxism
• A fall or injury to the face

What Should You Do If Your Crown Cracks?

First things first, you should call your emergency dentist in Far North Dallas. This is because when your tooth is left unprotected by the crown, bacteria can more easily enter the tooth and wreak havoc. After you make the call, there are a few things you can do in the meantime to alleviate any discomfort.

You might experience some sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks due to the tooth underneath the crown being exposed. If you are bleeding, you can apply a piece of gauze to the area and gently bite down on it until the bleeding stops. If not, rinse your mouth out with warm water to remove any sharp pieces. If there are jagged edges to your crown, you can place dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum on the crown to prevent those edges from causing damage to the soft tissues in your mouth.

How Can Your Dentist Help?

If your dental crown fell clean off, your dentist may be able to reattach it. If it’s cracked, however, they will likely have to create a new one. Impressions will be taken of your tooth to design another crown, but in the meantime, you will be given a plastic temporary one to wear. Although it can be uncomfortable and may become dislodged fairly easily, a temporary crown is certainly better than no crown.

No matter how your dental crown cracks, you should contact your dentist right away if it happens. That way they can get started on rebuilding your smile with a brand-new crown.

About the Practice

Bear Creek Family Dentistry has eleven convenient locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We have dentists who are experts in a variety of fields of dentistry, including prosthodontics, or the creation of artificial teeth like dental crowns. For more information, you can contact our Spring Valley location by calling (972) 490-1600.