Having a dental emergency? Most dental emergencies are nowhere near the severity of other medical emergencies.

In most cases, it’s the potential of extreme pain that is the issue, not health. You should still call your dentist right away.

In this article, we’ll address the issue of what to do if you are in pain because a crown or bridge came loose and fell off. You’re going to want to call in to our office ASAP; in the meantime, here’s what you can do:

Why Did the Crown or Bridge Come Loose?

• The crown or bridge has fallen out because the cement used to glue it in just gave up on you. This is not considered an emergency but you need to do your best to temporarily glue it back in. If you leave it out of your mouth tooth long, it is likely not going to fit back in.
• The other scenario is that the tooth has broken, this is not an easy fix.
• Rule of thumb, if you can put it back in then its likely the glue, if you can’t then your tooth could be broken.

What to Do

• Don’t panic! If you’re not in pain, that buys you some time. If the crown or bridge has just come off and you can put it back on. You can go to the pharmacy and buy a temporary dental cement from your local pharmacy. If that fails and you cannot find it, some patients give good feedback on Polident denture adhesives as a good short-term solution to temporarily glue the crown in till you see a dentist.
  Call your dentist. The more info you give them over the phone, the better. You could say to them something like, “the crown came off, its not sore and I can put it back on”. Better yet, email or text a photo! This will help you know what treatment is expected.

With most dental emergencies, severe pain may be a factor. If you can’t manage the pain without painkillers you might consider Panadol and/or ibuprofen – but only if you have no previous allergies or medications that can interact with these painkillers. You can check with your GP and pharmacy but these two painkillers are the most commonly used to curb dental pain. Codeine or tramadol can be added in extreme cases but you will need a prescription for this.

We are living in a unique time where we are all isolated from one another. The last thing we want our patients to do is live with pain or infection during this time. This is why we are one of the few dental clinics that has remained open to service dental emergencies. We know what to do and how to handle a dental emergency. If you have a dental emergency, please do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to give you guidance and support.