Lost restoration
Lost a crown or filling in Greenwich, CT: keep it and call us
A crown that has come off is often recemented the same day. What ruins that chance is household glue, and a tooth left uncovered long enough that it shifts out of position.
How urgent is it?
Within a few days
Sooner if the tooth is sharp or sensitive. An unprotected tooth can move enough in a couple of weeks that the crown no longer seats properly.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
Decay under the edge
The most common reason a crown lets go. The cement itself was fine; the tooth beneath it had simply shrunk from decay.
02
Cement fatigue
Restorations placed twenty years ago reach the end of their service life. Often the crown itself is still in excellent condition.
03
A hard or sticky bite
Toffee and hard bread often take the blame, but they usually finish off something that was already loosening.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Keep the crown or filling somewhere safe and dry, and bring it with you. Do not throw it away just because it looks like a small fragment.
- 02
Please never use household glue or hardware adhesive. It contaminates the tooth and often means the crown has to be remade entirely.
- 03
A pharmacy temporary cement is acceptable for a night or two if the tooth is sharp.
- 04
Chew on the other side and keep the exposed tooth clean, since it decays quickly once uncovered.
What we would do
At the appointment
We check what is underneath, which is really the whole question. A sound tooth usually means a clean and recement, often in about half an hour.
If decay has undermined the edge, we treat that first and then decide whether the original crown still fits properly.
If the tooth has broken at the gum line, we talk through what it takes to keep it, sometimes a build-up and a new crown, sometimes replacement. You will hear both options along with the costs.
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
Frequently, yes, if the tooth beneath it is sound and the crown itself is undamaged. That is the far less expensive outcome, which is why we ask you to bring it with you.
The exposed dentin decays much faster than enamel, and neighboring teeth begin closing the space. Waiting a month often turns a simple recement into the need for a new crown.
Far less than a new crown, and we will quote it before we start. If we can see the crown is beyond reuse, we tell you at that visit rather than afterward.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.