A discolored, damaged, or decayed tooth can often be restored using a cap or a crown. A well-made crown will blend in with your natural teeth; it will never be noticeable, and give you many years of service without problems. However, it is possible for a crown to come loose and fall out. This can happen if you bite into something chewy or hard, or if it gets a hard bump.

What to Do When a Crown Fell Out of Mouth

Don’t panic if your crown comes loose. It isn’t usually anything serious, and seldom is it an emergency situation. Follow these steps.

1. Remove the Crown from Your Mouth

Take the crown out carefully, so you don’t take a chance of swallowing or inhaling it and choking on it. Should you accidentally swallow it, it will work its way through your digestive system without hurting you, but it will be irretrievable. Put the crown someplace safe where you won’t lose it until you can get it put back in.

2. Examine the Crown and Tooth Area

Look in the mirror and check out the tooth that the crown came off of. See if any of the remaining portion of tooth got broken off when the cap became loose or was knocked out. If you can’t see the area, have someone else look for you.

If the crown was knocked out because of a blow to your mouth, the remaining portion of tooth under the cap may have been broken off and may be stuck inside the cap. When this happens, report to the dentist while calling.

3. Call a Dentist As Soon As Possible

Even though losing a crown isn’t a real dental emergency, you should make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible to get it repaired. Your dentist will instruct you in the care of your exposed tooth and the crown until he/she can fix it.

The exposed tooth will be weak, and may be very sensitive. Don’t chew on the side where the crown fell out of mouth. It will also be at risk of decay until it is again covered by the crown. So get an appointment as soon as possible.

4. Deal With Any Pain

If you have pain at the site of the missing crown, put a dab of clove oil on the spot using a cotton swab. The clove oil will numb the area. Find it in pharmacies or with the other seasonings in the grocery department.

How to Fit the Crown in Place Temporarily

If you can't get to your dentist for various reasons, you can temporarily fit the crown on your own in order to protect the exposed tooth. But the precondition is that your crown and tooth area are all intact.

1. Clean the Crown

Plug the sink first, so in case you drop the crown, you won’t lose it down the drain. It’s a good idea to lay a washcloth in the sink in case you drop the crown. Wash the crown under gently running water. Pick off any food or old cement with a toothpick, floss, or toothbrush. Dry with sterile gauze.

2. Clean the Tooth

With a soft toothbrush, clean the exposed tooth gently. It will probably be sensitive. Floss around it too. Gently dry the tooth area with sterile gauze. The tooth area needs to be dry for the cement to adhere properly.

3. Put the Crown in Place

See if you can put the crown back in place before you put any adhesive on it. Fit it on over the exposed tooth and bite down gently to seat the tooth. If properly placed, it should feel just like it did before the crown fell out of mouth. If it doesn’t, it’s not in properly.

If it sits too high, you may need to clean it some more. If it doesn’t feel right at all, turn it the other way. Keep adjusting until it feels and fits right. Otherwise, don’t use any cement on it.

4. Pick a Dental Adhesive

If you have been able to put the crown back in its place just right, then you can use a dental cement to secure it in place. You can find these repair kits on the toothpaste/denture products aisle. Read the box before choosing one to make sure that it is the proper product.

If you can’t get to a store, try mixing a small amount of water and flour together to make a smooth paste. Never use super glue or other household glues on the crown. It can irritate the tooth and gum.

5. Apply Cement to Crown

Dry the tooth area with sterile gauze. Following the directions, apply the dental cement to the inside of the crown, and then place it over the exposed tooth. If this is difficult, ask someone to help you.

6. Tap Teeth Together

Bite down gently and tap your teeth together to seat the crown. Depending on the product, you may need to clamp your teeth together for several minutes until the cement sets up. Wipe away any excess cement that oozes out.

7. Floss

Floss carefully with teeth clamped to remove the excess from between the teeth. Pull the floss through from back to front rather than lifting upward.

What Will the Dentist Do?

A visit to the dentist is always a must when crown fell out of mouth. Once the dentist has assessed your situation, he/she will determine whether your existing cap can be reaffixed or if you will need a new one. A damaged crown can’t be reaffixed.

If your tooth has broken off under and inside of the crown, a root treatment and a post are needed to fix it properly. If this treatment isn’t possible because the tooth has been weakened too much, what’s left of the tooth will have to be pulled and a replacement is then made and fitted.