In short: Keep the crown, clean it with water only and do not glue it back yourself. The exposed tooth is sensitive and unprotected — arrange an appointment soon, usually within a few days. With severe pain, swelling or sharp edges cutting your tongue it is urgent: call us on 0211 570025.
It almost always happens while eating and almost always at the worst moment. The good news: in most cases a crown that has come out is not an emergency but a prompt appointment. What you do in the first hours does, however, help decide whether the same crown can be refitted.
The right steps
- Keep it: bring the crown, bridge or inlay in a small container. The piece can often be refitted.
- Clean with water only: rinse briefly, do not scrub, no cleaning tablets and no disinfectant.
- Keep brushing the tooth: clean the exposed area carefully but thoroughly. An unprotected stump decays quickly.
- Spare that side: do not chew on the affected side, avoid very hot, cold and sweet things.
- Make an appointment: the sooner, the more likely the existing piece can be reused.
What to avoid
- Do not glue it in yourself. Superglue and craft adhesives are not suitable for the mouth, they damage the tooth and often make a clean refit impossible.
- Temporary cements from the chemist can protect the tooth briefly but do not replace an appointment — if the crown sits crooked, pressure points and decay develop under the margin.
- Do not wait because it does not hurt. Absence of pain does not mean nothing is happening. A root-treated tooth can keep deteriorating unnoticed.
When it is urgent
Call the same day if there is severe or throbbing pain, if the gum is swollen, if a sharp edge is cutting your tongue, or if a bridge has broken and parts are loose in the mouth. We keep time free every day for acute cases — say on the phone that it is urgent.
Swelling with fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing is different: those are signs of a spreading infection. In that case go directly to an emergency department, not to the practice.
Why a crown comes off at all
Usually the crown is not the problem but what happened underneath: decay at the crown margin, a crack in the tooth, cement that has dissolved after many years, or heavy grinding. So the appointment is not only about refitting — first we establish why the bond failed. Otherwise the same situation returns in a few months.
Frequently asked questions
Can my old crown be refitted?
Often yes, if it is undamaged and the tooth underneath is healthy. If decay has developed on the stump or the crown is fractured, a new one is made.
What do I do at the weekend?
If it is only uncomfortable rather than painful, protect the area and call on the next working day. For severe pain the central dental emergency service in Düsseldorf is available without an appointment: 0211 157 60 900, Florastraße 36.
Is an exposed tooth stump dangerous?
It is not acutely dangerous but it is sensitive and unprotected. Without a crown, decay can form within a few weeks and the tooth can fracture under load.
A filling fell out — is that the same?
The approach is similar: keep the area clean, spare that side, get an appointment soon. A lost filling does not need to be kept; it is not reused.
This article provides general information and does not replace a dental examination. Medically reviewed by Dr. F. J. Rodríguez Ruíz, MSc., dentist at A+ Dental, Düsseldorf-Oberkassel.