One of the most common types of dental emergencies is a loose, pulled-out or missing dental crown. Crowns are designed to cover up and protect your tooth if it has been damaged, so when they fall out or are pulled out while you’re eating a sticky food, this is a serious dental emergency.
Dental crowns are placed on large cavity fillings, implants or root canal treated teeth.
The crowns are glued to the prepared teeth with luting cement, which is available in various types depending on the particle size, bond strength, solubility, etc.
If under any condition, the crown does not fit snugly and is not stable, it becomes a loose crown.
But why would a dental crown fall out in the first place? Read on, and get the answers you need!!
1. Improper Fit or Construction
This is likely the cause of your dental crown falling out if it’s relatively new. If you’ve only had your crown for a few years and it starts to feel loose or falls out, it’s likely that it was built with an improper fit. Over time, the pressure and force of biting and chewing can cause your crown to become loose if it doesn’t fit properly.
It’s also possible that your tooth is simply too short or does not have enough structure to adequately support a crown. Crowns need a good amount of tooth structure to be held in place. In short teeth or rear teeth that have been worn down, there may not be enough enamel to provide a durable hold.
2. Deterioration of Dental Cement
The dental cement used to hold your crown in place is strong and durable, but it doesn’t last forever. Even if you take great care of your teeth, it’s likely to deteriorate over time, so your crown may become loose and fall out.
If this happens, it’s usually possible to simply clean the tooth and crown to remove any remaining cement, and then bond the crown back to your tooth structure. As long as the crown hasn’t been damaged, it should be as good as new.
3. Teeth Grinding Causing Loosening of the Crown
This is a common reason for premature crown failure, particularly in the rear teeth. If you grind your teeth at night, you will be putting a lot of pressure on your rear molars and premolars. Over time, this can cause the cement holding the crown in place to loosen or cause the crown itself to break. If you grind your teeth and have a crown over one of your rear teeth, it’s important to wear a night guard while you sleep to protect your dental health.
4. Recurring Tooth Decay
If you don’t brush and floss properly, it’s possible for tooth decay to occur under the crown. This is not very common, but it does happen. This could also occur if your dentist did not prepare your tooth properly before placing your dental crown
There are few more common reasons that cause loose crowns:
Microleakages: Micro leakage is caused when the luting cement used to adhere the crown to the tooth structure is washed off. This creates a hollow cement space resulting in a loosened crown.
Cavities/tooth decay: Restored teeth are more susceptible to plaque accumulation if not kept clean. Over time, this leads to tooth decay under the crown, altering the tooth structure.
Grinding/clenching: This creates constant pressure over the teeth creating undue stresses.
Food habits: Sticky food may pull out the crown.
Jerk/trauma: Any type of sudden jerk while brushing, flossing and trauma due to fall or a severe blow can lead to the loosening of the crown.
Other causes:
⇝ Technical errors in laboratory processing of crowns, resulting in altered dimensions or distorted crown.
⇝ The incomplete set of the cement while fixing the crown.
If you’ve lost a dental crown, you need to have it replaced as soon as possible and ensure that you understand the underlying reason that your crown fell out. So don’t wait. Schedule an appointment with us today at ORALH
