Chipped A Dental Crown? Here's What To Do

Chipped Your Dental Crown? Don’t Panic – Here’s What You Should Do

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Dental crowns are just as strong as natural teeth. But just like natural teeth, they're not completely invulnerable to damage. In some cases, you may end up chipping, cracking, or damaging your crown. What should you do if this happens? Read on, and we’ll give you all the information you need to know in this blog from Smileform Dentistry.

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What Is A Dental Crown And Why Would I Need One?

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Dental crowns are false teeth that are designed to repair, replace, and cover up your natural enamel after it’s been damaged by an oral injury or tooth decay. There are lots of different types of crowns, including porcelain crowns, stainless steel crowns, and gold crowns, but porcelain crowns are the most popular type of crown today. These crowns are made of a special ceramic material that looks, feels, and functions just like your natural tooth enamel.

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What Causes A Dental Crown To Crack?

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Dental crowns are strong, but just like natural teeth, they can chip or crack. This could happen if you bite down on a really hard piece of food like a popcorn kernel or a piece of ice. It also could happen if you’re using your teeth to do things they shouldn’t do, like opening bottles or packages.

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Dental trauma also is a common cause of broken crowns. If you play contact sports or participate in hobbies like skateboarding, for example, you could end up with a chipped crown if you fall or are hit in the face. 

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What Should I Do If My Dental Crown Cracks?

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Taking care of a chipped crown is easy. Here’s what you need to do:

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• Rinse your mouth and check out the chip – It’s a good idea to rinse your mouth and spit after you chip a crown. This will ensure you spit out any food, debris, or chipped pieces of the crown that may still be in your mouth. Once that’s done, take a look at your tooth in a mirror.
  
  Then, gently run your finger or your tongue over the crown to check how sharp the edges are. Deep, sharp edges usually indicate more severe damage to the tooth and the crown, and may also cut your tongue. More shallow, blunt edges mean the chip isn’t as severe.
  
  
• Contact Smileform Dentistry & schedule an appointment – Once you've assessed the situation, give us a call at (267) 692-2922 to discuss your issue with the team at Smileform Dentistry. If the chip is small and you’re not experiencing severe pain or bleeding, you can come into our office in the next couple of days for an appointment with Dr. Inna Solovey.
  
  But if you are in lots of pain or your tooth is bleeding, let us know. We’ll schedule a same-day emergency dental appointment, and Dr. Solovey will treat your condition immediately. A severely broken or loose dental crown definitely qualifies as a dental emergency.
  
  
• Take pain medication and ice the area – If you’re in some pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol) to help with your discomfort. You can also apply an ice pack to your cheek near the affected area to numb it and help with your pain until you come into Smileform Dentistry.
  
  
• Come to our office for crown repair or replacement – In some cases, it may be possible to repair your dental crown with dental resin. Dr. Solovey will apply this resin directly to the crown, then reshape and harden it to rebuild the shape of your crown. This only takes a few minutes.
  
  However, if your crown is significantly damaged, she will need to build a new one. Dr. Solovey will remove your damaged crown, take impressions of your teeth, then build a brand-new crown using our CEREC machine. It only takes about 1-2 hours to replace your dental crown with our CEREC technology, and you don’t have to worry about coming back to our office for multiple appointments.

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Got A Chipped Crown? Get A Same-Day Replacement In Newtown Square!

If you have chipped your crown and you need it to be replaced ASAP, we’re here to help. At Smileform Dentistry, we offer same-day emergency appointments. And thanks to our CEREC machine, Dr. Solovey can fit, build, and place your crown in just a single 1-2 hour appointment. So don’t wait. Contact us online or give us a call at (267) 692-2922 to get the help you need immediately.