When Houston Cosmetic & Family Dental Associates restores a tooth with a crown it is intended to be durable and to last for a long time. Unfortunately, things like a blow to the face, a hard fall or issues with chronic gum disease can weaken the cement anchoring one of your crowns or even cause the abutment to break off. If you are missing a crown or one has broken off at the gum line you need to call Houston Cosmetic & Family Dental Associates immediately to schedule an appointment.
If for some reason you can’t immediately reach Houston Cosmetic & Family Dental Associates or you are waiting for your appointment, there are a few things you can do to help manage the situation.
First off you should never attempt to brush or clean any of the exposed abutment or the crown. Manipulating the exposed abutment can cause further damage result in serious complications. If you have blood or debris in your mouth, you can gently rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water.
If your crown fell out because bacterial presence from chronic gum disease weakened the cement anchoring your crown, you should see the abutment sticking out from your gums. This often looks like a small nub of tooth or dull gray metal. In a situation like this the crown will also be completely hollow. With a little luck Houston Cosmetic & Family Dental Associates might be able to simply cement the crown back into place.
If the abutment broke off at the gum line, you should see some or all of it inside the crown. When this happens Dr. Kenneth Kirk will usually have to perform a root canal to restore enough structure to cement the crown back in place.
If you have lost a crown or damaged an abutment you need to call Houston Cosmetic & Family Dental Associates as soon as possible at 281-826-0025 to schedule an appointment.