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Emergency Crown Repairs: What To Do When You Can't Get To A Dentist

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If one of your dental crowns comes off during normal business hours, having a dentist reattach the crown will be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, dealing with this situation can become far more complicated if your dental crown falls off during the overnight hours, over the weekend, or while you are away from home for an extended period of time and cannot get to a dentist. Thankfully, it is possible for you to perform emergency crown repairs on your own so that you can avoid any damage to the underlying tooth structure and the pain that comes along with it. Following the steps outlined below will allow you to accomplish this task.

What You Will Need

  • warm salt water
  • toothpaste
  • toothbrush
  • petroleum jelly
  • corn starch
  • cotton swabs

Step 1: Clean Crown And Tooth

The last thing you want is to seal any debris or bacteria inside your dental crown when applying a temporary adhesive. This is why it is so important for you to clean both the crown and the tooth that it covers before reattaching the crown.

In order to clean your dental crown, gently brush the crown using your toothpaste and toothbrush and then rinse it well using warm water. Placing a small towel or washcloth over the sink drain will prevent you from losing the crown in the event that you drop it during the cleaning process. This cloth will also provide a bit of extra cushion to help prevent your crown from chipping if it is dropped.

Next, simply rinse your mouth well using warm salt water in order to remove any debris and bacteria from the tissue surrounding the damaged tooth.

Step 2: Mix Adhesive And Attach Crown

In order to reattach your crown, you will first need to mix a temporary adhesive using petroleum jelly and corn starch. When mixing this adhesive, slowly add a few drops of corn starch at a time until the mixture forms a very thick paste. Once your adhesive is ready, use a cotton swab to fill the inside of your crown with the adhesive. Place the crown back in place and bite down gently until the crown is fully seated in your mouth.

Some adhesive will be pushed out from inside the crown as you apply pressure. This adhesive should be cleaned away using a wet cotton swab.

A Final Thought

The process above will allow you to easily make emergency dental crowns and prevent the complications that can come along with leaving your crown off for any period of time. However, this process is not intended to replace your need to see a dentist like one from Welch Dental Care. In order to permanently repair your crown, you will still need to visit your dentist as soon as possible to have the temporary adhesive removed in favor of proper dental cement.


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