Basically, the crown needs to be cemented back in place (if viable) as soon as possible. We recommend you contact the practice immediately to obtain further advice and an appointment. When a crown is loose or comes out, several things may take place all to the detriment of the tooth, so the sooner the status quo is re-established the better. Some of the things that may happen are:

• Teeth on either side or opposing the crown may move making it difficult or impossible to re-seat the crown
• The tooth may be sensitive and feel painful without the crown.
• The tooth may look unsightly, making you less willing to smile.
• The gum may overgrow, meaning the crown won’t seat without having to adjust the gum margins around the tooth.
• A loose crown may get decay under it making the problem worse.

Some crowns come off cleanly and are really simple to clean up and re-cement.
Some crowns are placed with a stronger adhesive and may need to be cleaned by a laboratory.
Some crowns have cores and/or posts to anchor them and these can be broken too!
So the sooner we see you the better.