Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Cracked or Missing Crown

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that sits on top of an existing but damaged tooth. Your tooth may be too decayed for a filling, have had a root canal so the visible portion has been removed, or have a large crack that threatens its stability. In these cases, your dentist places a crown to hold your tooth together and protect it against acid and decay.

At Manteca Dental Care in Manteca, California, Dr. Rick Van Tran and our team offer dental crowns to our patients who have a variety of tooth-related problems. We use a number of different types of materials, depending on the location of your tooth and your aesthetic preference.

If you crack your crown or it falls out, treat the situation as if it were your natural tooth. Contact Manteca Dental Care so we can repair the damage and get your smile looking good again.

Crown materials

Dental crowns can be made from different materials, depending on the properties needed:

Ceramic 

Ceramic crowns are made of a porcelain-based material. They can be shaded to match your surrounding teeth, making them a common choice for restoring front teeth.

Resin 

Resin is mostly used for temporary crowns, as it’s the least durable material. Resin crowns tend to fracture, making their usefulness short-lived.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal 

This is a stronger, more durable option than an all-porcelain crown, as the material is bound to the metal structure.

Non-noble metals

Non-noble metals that are corrosion-resistant make very durable crowns, and gold bonds strongly to teeth, making them unlikely to fracture. Most dentists use a mixture of gold, copper, and other metals. Because of their color, though, they’re primarily used on back molars.

Most dental crowns last 5-15 years. Porcelain alone may need to be replaced more frequently than crowns made from other materials.

What to do about a cracked or missing crown

As soon as you realize you’ve got a cracked, chipped, or missing crown, examine the inside of your mouth for any missing pieces. If you’re bleeding from the break, apply a piece of gauze with some added pressure to get it to stop.

Then, call our office ASAP for professional guidance. Tell us everything you know about the break and how it happened. If you feel any sensitivity to cold or heat, mention that too, since it may mean your nerve is damaged.

Based on your information, our dental team can determine if you need to go directly to an emergency room or if waiting for treatment is okay. In most cases, unless your break is jagged and causing you pain, waiting a day or two is safe.

You do need to see Dr. Tran as soon as you’re able. A chip, or especially a break, is a vulnerability, and bacteria can easily gain access to the inner dentin and nerve and cause a serious infection. For that reason, he will likely want to repair the damage, in the case of a break, or fashion another crown, if you lost yours.

In some situations, fixing a broken crown might not be cost-effective or even possible. In these cases, you need a new crown. Leaving the space vacant invites other teeth to migrate toward the gap, shifting the alignment of your teeth.

If you’ve had an accident and damaged your crown, Manteca Dental Care can help restore your tooth — and your smile. Give us a call at 209-823-9218 or book an appointment online today.