There is nothing that can ruin a vacation faster than a throbbing toothache. Unfortunately, this is what often follows after losing a dental crown that is not put back in place relatively quickly. The problem is, the idea of cutting your vacation short to run to a dentist can probably sound just about as bad as dealing with a toothache. The good news is, you do not have to choose between these two extremes. This is because it is possible to temporarily reattach your own dental crown in just a matter of minutes with limited supplies.
What You Will Need
Clean The Crown And Underlying Tooth
The first thing you will need to do is ensure that there are no food particles or other debris stuck inside the crown or your underlying tooth. This is extremely important as the last thing you want to do is to cement bacteria or food inside your crown where it can cause decay.
In order to clean your dental crown, simply run the crown until warm water ensuring that you rinse both the inside and outside thoroughly. You may wish to lay a towel over the sink drain while you are doing this so that the crown is not lost if you accidentally drop it in the sink.
Mix A Temporary Cement
Begin by placing approximately a teaspoon of petroleum jelly in a bowl or other mixing dish. Slowly add cornstarch to the bowl and stir until it forms a thick putty-like substance. This putty will serve as the cement to keep your dental crown in place.
Reattach Crown
Using a cotton swab, fill your dental crown with a generous amount of the temporary cement you mixed in the previous step. Place the crown directly over your tooth and then bite down gently until you can feel that the crown is seated properly on top of your tooth.
If a bit of the cement seeps out from beneath your crown, don't worry about it. This is completely normal. Simply use a wet cotton swab to wipe away the excess cement before it is able to dry.
It can take several hours for the dental cement to cure completely. Therefore, you should try and avoid eating and drinking during this time.
Visit Your Dentist
While this emergency dental repair will get you through the rest of your vacation pain free, it will not serve as a permanent solution. Therefore, you will still need to make an appointment to see your dentist (like those at Larchmont Dental Arts LLC) as soon as you return home.
Share26 May 2015
The average dentist takes many client appointments each day and also deals with emergency situations on a regular basis. Dental emergencies are very common because people are likely to put off having tooth pain fixed until the pain becomes unbearable. Some people have anxiety about dental visits, and others are trying to avoid the expense of dental care. In either case, the end result is often a dental emergency. I have worked as a professional dental hygienist for many years and have seen all types of dental emergencies. I hope that this blog will help people identify potential emergencies before they become too serious and will allow people to know when to get help.
