Dental Questions: Help- I Broke My Temporary Crown!

Anyone who has had a temporary crown break knows that they tend to come off at the least convenience times. After the initial shock and confusion wears off, you may be wondering what your next step is. Even if the crown falls out in one whole piece, do not try to put it back on the tooth and continue using it.  Although the crown seems small, it poses a serious choking risk particularly when sleeping or chewing. Additionally, don't try to glue the crown back together or recement it. This can result in damaging the underlying tooth structure in a way that ruins the fit of the permanent crown. 

Your best bet for fixing a broken or missing temporary crown is calling our office. If the crown can't be recemented, we will make a new one on the spot. We keep copies of all the temporary impressions we make until the final crown is delivered. This allows us to recreate temporaries on-demand and in short notice. Our office always tries to work these type of appointments in same-day or early the next day! If you have any further questions on the dental crown process, please give us a call or email. 

Case Presentation: Esthetic Veneers Part 1

For many patients, cosmetic veneers are a great way to transform their smile with a short turnaround time. This patient is a grandmother who always wanted to close the gaps in her front teeth. Using veneers, we will both close the gaps and create a beautiful and natural looking smile. We just finished the first part of her treatment, where we prepared her four front teeth, took impressions and made the temporary veneers. She will return in about two weeks to cement the final product!

Before

Before veneers, this patient's teeth had large spacings and were not completely symmetrical. 

After

Here is the same patient with her temporary veneers on. You can really see how this procedure will create a more esthetic smile!

The "after" photo shows our patient in acrylic temporary veneers. They are created immediately following the preparation to hold space for the permanent restoration. Right now, our dental lab is working on the permanent veneers, making sure they have the right color, shape and opacity to match the rest of her teeth. We are eagerly awaiting the final product and will post as soon as we deliver it!

Dental Questions: What do I do if I lose a temporary crown

Temporary crowns are not as developed or strong as permanent crowns because they are only intended to function for about two weeks. 

Fortunately, losing a temporary crown is not a dental emergency. We primarily use them as space holders until the permanent restorations are ready. Even in the span of 2 weeks, the adjacent teeth can start to shift into the area created during the crown preparation. A temporary crown maintains space for the permanent crown, along with providing some chewing function and protection for the underlying tooth. If you lose a temporary crown, call our office and we will see you as soon as possible (typically the same afternoon/ following day). Remaking or recementing a temporary crown only takes about 20 minutes and usually does not require any anesthetic. Do not try to recement the crown on your own using drug store temporary dental cements. These products come with a number of risks, including permanently lodging the crown to the tooth or irritating the gums and periodontal space. Your teeth will not move significantly in the one to two days between losing your crown and having it replaced at our office.