Crown Fell Off or Filling Fell Out? Here’s What to Do.
If your crown fell off or a filling fell out, the tooth is left exposed. That usually isn’t a reason to go to the ER, but it is a reason to call. Keep the crown, protect the tooth, and call or text (252) 478-3422. We keep time open every weekday for emergencies here in Spring Hope, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day.
Written by the Spring Hope Family Dentistry team and reviewed by Dr. Elie Abboud, DDS, based on guidance from Cleveland Clinic, MedlinePlus and the UK’s National Health Service.
What to Do Right Now
Find your situation below. These are short-term fixes until we can see the tooth, so call or text us either way, even if it doesn’t hurt.
If your crown came off
- Keep the crown somewhere safe, like a small bag or container, and bring it with you.
- Try it gently on the tooth. If it sits firmly, you can hold it there with over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste or denture adhesive inside the crown. If your bite feels off once it’s back on, take it out and bring it with you.
- If it rocks or won’t go all the way down, don’t force it. Ask your pharmacist about a temporary filling kit to protect the tooth instead.
- Call or text us as soon as you can.
If a filling fell out
- Fill the hole with sugarless gum or over-the-counter dental cement from the pharmacy.
- Skip gum with sugar in it. It will make the tooth hurt.
- Chew on the other side until it’s fixed.
- Call or text us, even if it doesn’t hurt.
Until your visit
Keep brushing gently, around the tooth too. Avoid very hot or very cold food and drinks, and don’t bite hard foods on that tooth.
If the tooth feels sensitive, dab a little sensitive toothpaste on it. If it aches, take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as the label directs.
Never use super glue: it’s made for broken mugs, not mouths, and so are other household glues. The crown has to come back off so we can clean and check the tooth under it, and glue gets in the way. Dental cement, toothpaste or denture adhesive can hold it until we see you, as long as it sits firmly.
A note on pain relievers: ask a pharmacist or your dentist before taking ibuprofen and acetaminophen together. Check with your doctor before taking ibuprofen if you take blood thinners, have had stomach ulcers or bleeding, a heart attack or a stroke, or have heart or kidney disease or asthma. If you’re pregnant or have liver disease, ask your doctor before taking either one. With acetaminophen, use only one product that contains it at a time, and don’t take it if you have three or more alcoholic drinks a day. Children’s doses go by age and weight, and don’t give aspirin to anyone under 16 unless their doctor says to. Our toothache page has more on easing tooth pain at home.
Chipped or broke a tooth instead? See our broken tooth page. A broken or loose denture is a different repair, covered on our denture repairs and relines page. For anything else, start with our emergency dentistry page.
What Not to Do
A few very normal reactions do more harm than good here. Skip these.
- Don’t use super glue or household glue. Stick with dental cement, toothpaste or denture adhesive.
- Don’t force a crown that won’t sit right. If it rocks or won’t go all the way down, leave it out and bring it with you.
- Don’t throw the crown away. Even if you think it’s ruined, bring it in. We’ll check whether it can go back on.
- Don’t chew on that side. Skip hard foods on that tooth until it’s fixed.
- Don’t put aspirin, painkillers or clove oil on the tooth or gum. They can burn the tissue, and clove oil is toxic to children if swallowed. Swallow pain relievers as the label directs instead.
- Don’t reach for a numbing gel on your own. Gels with benzocaine are linked to a rare but dangerous blood condition. Ask your dentist or pharmacist first, and never use them on a child under 2.
- Don’t put it off because it doesn’t hurt. Pain or no pain, get it seen as soon as you can.
Is a Lost Crown or Filling an Emergency?
It’s a reason to call us, but usually not a reason to go to the ER. Cleveland Clinic lists a lost filling or crown as a dental emergency. The NHS in the UK says to see a dentist as soon as possible, and urgently if you have severe pain, swelling or an infection. The ER can give you medicine, but it doesn’t do fillings or crowns.
Call us right away if you have:
- Pain that medicine doesn’t help
- Swelling in your face or jaw
- A fever or chills
We keep time open every weekday for emergencies, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day. Calling or texting first is the fastest way in. If you walk in, we’ll fit you in as the day allows.
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have:
- Trouble breathing, swallowing or speaking
- Swelling that’s spreading toward your eye, down your neck, or under your jaw or tongue
- Drooling, or you can’t open your mouth because of swelling
- A fever of 100.4°F or higher along with swelling in your face
- Confusion
- Bleeding that won’t stop with firm pressure
- A jaw that won’t close normally or may be broken
- Jaw pain along with chest discomfort, shortness of breath or light-headedness. Call 911, because this can be a heart attack.
If you’re that sick, don’t drive yourself. Have someone take you, or call 911.
After hours or on a weekend? Text us at (252) 478-3422 and we’ll get back to you as soon as we’re open. Until then, follow the first steps above and chew on the other side. If your face is swelling or you have a fever and you can’t reach us, go to the ER. If it’s pain that medicine isn’t helping, urgent care or the ER can help until we open. Then come see us as soon as we open.
Why Crowns and Fillings Come Loose
A filling patches a hole in a tooth. A crown is a cap that covers a damaged tooth to protect it. Both are ways of repairing a tooth, what dentists call restorative dentistry. When either one comes out, the tooth itself needs a look, not just the crown or filling.
Crowns: a crown fits over what’s left of your own tooth, called the core. If that core is too weak to hold the crown in place, the crown can come off.
Fillings: a loose filling can hurt before it falls out. Sharp pain when you bite down can point to a loose filling, but also to decay or a crack, so have it checked.
The nerve: if the nerve inside the tooth (the pulp) is involved, the tooth may need a root canal, which cleans out the inside of the tooth, or it may need to come out.
Did the crown or filling come off a tooth that’s had a root canal? The same steps apply. Keep the crown, cover the tooth and call us.
My Crown Fell Off. Can It Be Put Back On?
Sometimes. If the crown and the tooth under it are both in good shape, we can clean them and cement the crown back on. If not, you’ll need a new crown. Here’s how a visit for a lost crown or filling usually goes.
- 1
We look at the crown and the tooth
We check the crown for damage and look closely at the tooth it came off. Tell us if it’s been sensitive or sore.
- 2
We take an X-ray
An X-ray helps us see below the surface of the tooth. It’s one helpful piece of the picture, along with the exam.
- 3
If both are in good shape, the crown goes back on
We clean the crown and the tooth, then cement the crown back in place. For a lost filling, we check the tooth the same way and usually place a new filling.
- 4
If not, we make you a new crown
If the crown is damaged or the tooth needs repair first, you’ll need a new crown. We take a digital scan with our intraoral scanner instead of goopy impression trays, and your new crown can often be designed and printed here in our office lab. Our SprintRay Midas 3D printer is FDA-cleared for permanent crowns.
- 5
If the nerve is involved, we treat that too
The tooth may need a root canal, or it may need to come out. Dr. Abboud and Dr. Hilary handle most root canals, molars included, and most extractions right here in the office. If a tooth can’t be saved, we’ll walk you through replacing it, for example with a dental bridge, which fills the gap by attaching to the teeth on each side.
Nervous about the visit? We offer laughing gas (nitrous oxide) and oral sedation to help you relax.
Temporary Crown Fell Off?
A temporary crown is a short-term cap that covers your tooth while your permanent crown is being made. If yours comes off, here’s what to do.
- Call or text us so we can get it back on.
- Keep the temporary crown and bring it with you.
- Until you’re seen, you can hold it in place with over-the-counter temporary dental cement or toothpaste, as long as it sits firmly.
- Avoid sticky foods, like caramel or taffy.
- Chew on the other side, and don’t bite hard foods on that tooth.
- When you floss around it, slide the floss out sideways instead of lifting it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
My crown fell off. What should I do?
Keep the crown and call or text us at (252) 478-3422. If it sits firmly on the tooth, you can hold it there until your visit with over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste or denture adhesive inside. If it rocks or won’t go all the way down, don’t force it. Bring it with you instead. Never use super glue, and don’t bite hard foods on that tooth.
Can I use super glue to put my crown back on?
No. Household glues aren’t made for your mouth, and the crown needs to come back off so we can clean and check the tooth under it. Until your visit, hold it with over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste or denture adhesive, and only if it sits firmly.
Can a crown that fell off be put back on?
Sometimes. If the crown and the tooth under it are both in good shape, we can clean them and cement the crown back on. If the crown is damaged or the tooth needs more work, you’ll need a new crown, which can often be designed and printed here in our office lab. Either way, bring the crown with you.
My filling fell out but it doesn’t hurt. Is that OK?
No pain makes it less urgent, but it still needs to be fixed. Cover the hole with sugarless gum or over-the-counter dental cement, keep brushing, avoid very hot or cold food, and don’t bite hard foods on that tooth. Call or text us to get it seen as soon as you can.
How long can I wait to fix a lost crown or filling?
Get it seen as soon as you can. There’s no safe waiting period we can promise, because the tooth is weaker and more exposed without its crown or filling. If you have severe pain, swelling, a fever or chills, call right away.
What if my crown falls off on the weekend?
Text us at (252) 478-3422 and we’ll reply as soon as we’re open. Our hours are Monday 7:30 to 4:30, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:30 to 5:30, and Thursday and Friday 7:30 to 3:30. Until then, hold the crown in place with dental cement, toothpaste or denture adhesive if it sits firmly, or keep it safe if it doesn’t, and chew on the other side. If your face is swelling or you have a fever and you can’t reach us, go to the ER. If it’s pain that medicine isn’t helping, urgent care or the ER can help until we open.
Why did my crown fall off?
A crown can come off when the part of your tooth under it, called the core, is too weak to hold it in place. That’s why we check the tooth, not just the crown. If the nerve inside the tooth is involved, the tooth may need a root canal, or it may need to come out.
My temporary crown fell off. What now?
Call or text us so we can get it back on. Until then, you can hold it in place with over-the-counter temporary dental cement or toothpaste if it sits firmly. Avoid sticky foods, chew on the other side, and when you floss, slide the floss out sideways instead of lifting it up.
What does it cost to fix a lost crown or filling?
It depends on whether your crown can go back on or the tooth needs more work. For new patients, the emergency exam and X-ray is $99, and VIP Plan members get one emergency exam a year included. If you need treatment, you’ll get the exact price in writing before we start, and we’ll file your insurance for you. Payment plans are available through Cherry, Sunbit and CareCredit.
Do I have to be a patient of yours to be seen?
No. Call or text (252) 478-3422, tell us what happened, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day. We see emergency patients from Spring Hope, Nashville, Rocky Mount, Wilson and the towns around them.
Crown Fell Off? Help for Spring Hope and Nearby Towns
We see lost crowns and fillings from Spring Hope, Nashville (about 10 minutes), Rocky Mount (about 15), Wilson (about 20), Zebulon, Bailey and Middlesex, Bunn, Louisburg, Castalia, Elm City and Lake Royale. Call ahead and we’ll have a room ready.
Lost a Crown or Filling? Call Us.
We keep time open every weekday for emergencies. Bring the crown if you have it, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day.