If your crown breaks, you should call a dentist and get an appointment as soon as you are able. Hopefully your dentist will see you within a day or two. If they can't see you within a week, I would call a different dentist or better yet ask them 'nicely' if they can refer you to a good dentist who will be able to see you sooner.
It is best to see a dentist soon, because it is often hard for a patient to evaluate the extent of his damage. Sometimes, a patient without much pain has sustainned a significant injury to a tooth. Fortunately, most times having your crown break isn't such a big a dental emergency. Most times when the patient is seen the crown either needs to be replaced or smoothed.
Some times the remainder of the crown is sharp and can irritate or cut the tongue.
If the underlying tooth is exposed, sometimes the tooth is sensitive to air or cold liquids. That means the pulp inside the tooth is still alive(a good thing!). Although this is anoying and can be a pain, nothing will happen to the tooth in twenty four to 48 hours. Teeth do not decay in one week. It takes time for decay to develop
Occasionally, when a patient calls and says "my crown broke", what actually has occured is the tooth under the crown has broken off and the crown has come out. This can be a bigger emergency. When the patient does come in, the remainder of the tooth has decay and sometimes it requires endodontic treatment. Often these teeth do not hurt, since the pulp is already dead. Some teeth have sustained vertical fractures and in a worst case scenario the tooth needs to be removed.
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Hmm. Interesting.
I had a horrible experience with the last dentist who did my crown. (back molar, second to last.) The first crown bonding failed. The second one cracked in half. I have no pain or sensitivity, and I am traumatized from Dental work now. Ive had a cracked crown for 2 months. Other than decay, can I live with this for awhile?
I'm on my second crown (back molar) and they keep breaking in the same place in less than 24 hours. I'm not thrilled, but at least I can't feel it. I think I just grind my teeth in my sleep or something.
Usually if a patient keeps breaking a crown in the same place a short time after insertion, something needs modifying. Either the bite hasn't been adjusted to account for a patient's lateral teeth movements or the crown prep doesn't allow for sufficient clearance.
It also is possible that you are grinding your teeth at night and it is contributing to your crown's repeated failures.
Hi Dr. Spindel. This will give you something to discuss at the next dental convention. While in North Carolina (my husband is a Marine and we were living there) I got two root canals and two crowns. Well the two teeth were on the back, right hand side. One was on the top, the other directly below it. Well this dentist thought that he could do BOTH at the same time. I said, "If you do that, the bite won't be the same ever again. Do one, then we can do the other one on another day." He wouldn't hear of it. Why? Because he had that new million dollar machine that makes crowns while you wait. The computer tells it how to make it. But just as I suspected, my bite was never the same. I have severe TMJ now. AND, just tonight, eating bread, half of the crown broke off, of the tooth on the top. This is the second problem I've had with the "drive through and pick up your tooth" experience. Fast food and fast crowns... not worth your health! I'll wait for the old fashion crown to be made.
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