When a filling or crown comes away, the exposed tooth can be sensitive and is more prone to chipping or decay, so it should be restored reasonably soon. The urgency depends mostly on pain and how much tooth is exposed.
We connect you with a vetted Enfield dentist who can re-cement a sound crown or replace a filling. The measures below protect the tooth until your appointment.
Safe temporary measures
Keep the area clean and protect the exposed tooth. Pharmacy temporary materials can help for a day or two, but they are a stop-gap, not a repair.
- Keep a lost crown safe, clean and dry, and bring it to your appointment.
- A pharmacy temporary cement can hold a crown back on briefly; never use household glue.
- Avoid chewing on that side and keep the area clean.
- Sugar-free gum or temporary filling material can shield an open cavity short term.
The limits of repair kits
Temporary crown-repair kits are designed to last days, not weeks. If a crown is re-seated at the wrong angle or over decay, it can trap bacteria and cause more harm, so the tooth still needs a professional check.
If you swallowed a crown
Swallowing a crown is usually harmless and it will pass naturally. If you inhaled it, or have any chest symptoms or breathing difficulty, seek urgent medical advice. Either way, the tooth will need a new restoration.
Restorations: common questions
Related emergencies
This is a dental matching service, not a medical service
For genuine medical emergencies — uncontrolled bleeding, facial swelling spreading to your eye, throat or neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or feeling severely unwell — these are hospital problems and need IV antibiotics, not a dental appointment.