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By Arthur Kezian
Your Dental Crown is Fractured -- Now What?
It's something that no cosmetic dental patient ever wants to have happen -- you're going along smiling as usual when you suddenly discover that your crown is broken!
Now what?
The cause behind a broken dental crown boils down to one of two things -- age or simple physics. While porcelain crowns last for a long time, even the best ones wear out eventually. And even if you're nowhere near the end of your dental crown's lifespan, if there's too much pressure exerted on the porcelain, it's going to crack, chip, or fracture.
Where does this pressure come from?
All kinds of places!
A good cosmetic porcelain dental crown is designed to last anywhere from five to fifteen years (or even longer in some cases!), but that doesn't mean it's damage-proof. Just like your teeth, there are seemingly innocent things you can do that will damage it, including:
- Grinding your teeth
- Clenching your teeth
- Eating hard foods (like chewing on ice cubes, for example)
- Porcelain Crown
Having an issue with the way your upper and lower teeth come into contact when you bite down
- Having a tooth that was inadequately prepared before the crown was placed over it
- Having a crown that was improperly installed in the first place
- Significant decay that prevents your tooth from being strong enough to "anchor" a porcelain crown
- Unhealthy gum pockets that lead to a buildup of bacteria where the crown meets your gum tissue
Bottom line -- you've got to take good care of your dental crown from the moment it's installed. Maintain a good brushing and flossing regimen, avoid doing things that put too much stress and strain on the porcelain, and take steps to prevent problems from popping up (like wearing a mouth guard at night if you grind your teeth, for example). You also need to work with the very best cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles. Only the true experts have the tools, techniques, and experience to size, install, and maintain your crown.
But even if you're the most careful person in the world, it's still possible for your dental crown to fracture, chip, or crack. So, what should you do if it does?
Start by carefully examining the crown. Are there any pieces missing from it? Is it still firmly attached to your tooth, or is it loose? If it's loose, can you pull it off? Don't force it to come out if it won't, but if it's very loose, you need to try to remove it for your own safety. Otherwise, you might accidentally swallow it!
If you're able to remove the crown from your mouth, take a look at your tooth. Are there any jagged spots that may cut the inside of your mouth? Even if there aren't, you still need to use caution in this area. Your tooth will probably be very sensitive now that the crown isn't there to protect it. If you've had a root canal underneath this tooth, you probably won't experience quite as much discomfort as someone who hasn't, but you still need to see your cosmetic dentist right away. Feel free to take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you need to, but this is not a substitute for scheduling an appointment with your cosmetic dentist as soon as possible. A good one will be able to see you within a day, and yes, a fractured dental crown definitely counts as an emergency!
Once you get in to see your dentist, what will happen? How exactly will he fix your broken dental crown?
Fortunately, an expert cosmetic dentist will know exactly how to guide you through the entire process so that the panic you're feeling quickly subsides.
First, he'll assess the crown. If there's only a tiny chip or crack in it, your dentist may be able to fix the damage by etching and bonding it with a composite resin. Luckily, this is a quick, easy, and painless procedure. However, if the chip or crack is severe -- or if the fracture has knocked the crown out of your mouth entirely -- odds are you'll need a brand new crown. If that happens, you'll go through the same routine that you did when you first got your crown. Your cosmetic dentist will have to take impressions and fit you with a temporary crown until a permanent one can be created.
An expert cosmetic dentist will also talk to you about the pros and cons of bonding your crown rather than replacing it. No matter how skilled he is, a bonded dental crown will never be quite as strong as a new one that hasn't suffered any damage. If you want to minimize your chances of the crown breaking again, it may make more sense to replace it.
After you've talked about the crown, your cosmetic dentist will assess the tooth itself. If the force your crown sustained was big enough to fracture it, it's very possible that the force could have also damaged your tooth. In fact, patients often think they've broken their crown, when in reality, their crown is perfectly fine and it's actually the tooth that was fractured. The little chunks they're looking at are actually pieces of their tooth!
If you think your tooth is fine simply because it doesn't hurt, think again. Teeth can suffer significant damage without causing any pain, and before your crown can be put back into place, your cosmetic dentist will have to make sure that your tooth is structurally strong enough to support it.
And finally, whatever you do, NEVER try to repair a fractured dental crown on your own. In addition to years of training, the best cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles have special tools that are vital to fixing the damage. If your existing porcelain crown can be repaired, an expert cosmetic dentist will know exactly how to remove the old bonding adhesive from your crown, how to sterilize both the crown and your tooth, how to mix and properly apply new bonding adhesive, and how to reattach the crown properly.
It only takes a short Google search to see all kinds of stories of people trying to fix their dental crowns with superglue. Not only is this incredibly dangerous, it's also not going to last. Dental bonding adhesive is manufactured specifically to go in your mouth. Even the strongest superglue will dissolve relatively quickly, and you'll be right back where you started!
Bottom line -- if you don't get the best cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles to fix your fractured crown, you could end up with severe damage that can't be undone!