Why A Dislodged Dental Crown May Be An Emergency Issue

If you have a number of dental crowns protecting your teeth, then you may experience a situation where the crown becomes completely dislodged. This is concerning and may require emergency treatment. Keep reading to learn why immediate treatment is necessary to ensure that a temporary crown is secured while a new one is created for your tooth.

The Tooth Dentin Will Be Exposed

The vast majority of dental crowns require the complete removal of the tooth enamel that sits across the surface of the tooth. This is usually the case when a porcelain crown is created since these crowns are made with a thickness that matches the enamel. Basically, if the enamel is not removed, then the crown will be too thick to fit on the tooth. 

Tooth dentin sits underneath the enamel and will be exposed when the crown falls off. Dentin is extremely sensitive, and you will feel a great deal of discomfort as the dentin remains exposed. Any sort of pressure or temperature change will create strong sensations, and you will feel the pain until the dentin is covered up.

For some people, the discomfort is excruciating, and it can be quite difficult to eat or drink anything. Even drawing a breath into the mouth can lead to pain. This is an emergency situation due to your discomfort. 

Permanent Damage May Occur

Another reason why you want to seek out dental care is to reduce the chances that permanent damage occurs to your exposed tooth. Since part of your tooth is ground down to make room for the dental crown, it will not be as structurally sound. In other words, it can very easily succumb to damage from normal chewing. 

If a substantial amount of the tooth chips or breaks away, then there is a chance that there will not be enough of your original tooth left behind. A new crown may not be possible, and the tooth may need to be removed. In this situation, an expensive implant might be the solution to repairing the tooth. 

A crack in the tooth that runs vertically may also mean that an extraction is required, and it is often easy to crack a tooth that has been fitted with a crown. These teeth are usually much more brittle due to the root canal treatments completed before crown adhesion. 

If you want to know more about whether or not a dislodged crown is actually an emergency dental situation, then speak with an emergency dentist


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