How to Handle Emergencies For Crowns and Dentures

Anything made in a dental laboratory such as a

crown, denture or implants will also need a

laboratory to either fix, or replace it when it

breaks.

This is the unfortunate truth for most tooth replacements, whether they are crowns, implants or any type of denture. To fix these properly it has to be done by a laboratory. Any fix in a dental office without a laboratory will be just a temporary fix and will not, in the long-run, prove satisfactory. Here are some examples of why.

A dental laboratory plus patience is the correct fix for most crown, bridge, denture, and implant problems. Short cut fixes do not usually work.

If a crown breaks
Any type of white crown that breaks, whether it is zirconia,lithium silicate, or porcelain fused to metal (PFM), it will need to be replaced. Sometimes a dentist will try to repair a white crown in the office but the result often results in unsatisfactory esthetics and reduced longevity before it breaks again. The repair, in other words, will chip with time. Crowns that are repaired in the office usually do not have a satisfactory color and even if a satisfactory color match is achieved, the color will, over time, begin to fade and no longer prove pleasing to you.
Many crowns, dentures and implants contain metal parts.
Crowns may contain metal on the inside and a white surface on the outside. The commonly made zirconia crown is actually itself a type of metal that is coated with porcelain. Removable dentures may contain metal hooks and metal pieces to reinforce strength. Cemented bridges, which are actually just made from connected crowns, may also contain metal (click the button below to learn more about cemented bridges). Finally implants may be made of either zirconium oxide or titanium.
In all of these cases, when the metal
breaks, the device is not repairable and a
new one must be made.
Broken or lost denture teeth are repairable in the office (remember - we are talking about the denture teeth only, not a broken denture)
Denture teeth can be replaced in a dental office, however - you still might want to send the denture out to a lab for a one day repair. The repair done in a laboratory will prove more reliable over time than one done in the dental office.

Learn more about bridges

A loose implant suggests bone loss or inflammation. Often a replacement is necessary.

When a new denture, crown, or bridge causes irritation:

Anything cemented in your mouth such as a crown, or placed in your mouth such as a denture will cause irritation to the gums.

A newly placed crown or bridge (connected crowns) will feel tight and have a sensation of ‘pressure or tightness’ for the first 24 hours.

This is normal and it is a good idea to give a new crown or bridge a little time. It will usually feel better on its own and the feeling of pressure will usually fade away in a short time.

Denture pain is a very different situation.

When a new denture causes a sore, that sore will continuously get worse. There is no such thing as ‘waiting for a denture to settle and feel better’. Dentures do NOT settle. If a new denture hurts, call the dentist immediately. An in office adjustment will have to be done. For new dentures of any type, two or three adjustments (meaning a visit to shape the denture to remove pain) is typical and even after a year, indeed any time, due to bone changes, you might have to schedule yet another adjustment. For all types of prosthetics (dentures, crowns, bridges, implants), it is also important when you leave the office to make sure your bite is comfortable. If a tooth is out of line, you will be uncomfortable. Once again, there is no such thing as a denture or bridge that needs to ‘settle’. If your bite is off, then your dentist needs to correct it.

Food caught under a crown, bridge or implant:

All prosthetics, whether dentures, crowns, bridges or implants, have a potential for catching food under them or around them. Your dentist should discuss with you how to keep your prosthetic clean at home. Also, if there is excess food getting caught each time you eat, then there may be a problem and sometimes the prosthetic needs adjusting or replacing. Crowns and implants must be kept clean with floss and proper brushing. Fixed (cemented) bridges require thin ‘proxy brushes’ (see home care section) to clean under the bridge and between crowns and natural teeth. After eating, ALL dentures need to be removed, rinsed thoroughly, and then placed back in the mouth.

When the prosthetic (the crown, bridge,

implant or denture) is loose:

This too is an emergency since eating is compromised, the gums will become inflamed, and bone damage will result. A loose crown or loose cemented bridge might mean the crown or bridge itself is loose, or possibly, the tooth under the crown or bridge is loose. In terms of implants, sometimes the implant crown came loose from the implant post and sometimes the implant post in the bone is loose. When either an implant tooth or implant post becomes loose this is often not a repairable situation and will demand extraction of the implant and replacement with a new prosthesis (such as a new implant or other type of tooth replacement). When an implant is removed you must discuss with the dentist what type of replacement should be considered, either a new implant if possible, a fixed (cemented) porcelain bridge, or a removable denture.