I’m in a bit of a bind. I’m out of town. Actually, I’m out of the country in Great Britain. My crown fell off. It’s done this before, but I was always near home so I could go to my dentist to have it re-bonded. I’m going to be here for three weeks. Can I just leave it until I get back? If not, is it safe to just superglue it in place for now?
Michael N.
Dear Michael,
I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this at all, let alone while you’re out of the country. Unfortunately, three weeks is entirely too long to leave your crown off. In that amount of time, your teeth will shift and your crown will no longer fit by the time you get back to your dentist.
I’m a little concerned that this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Most dentists go their entire careers without having a dental crown fall off. Because this has happened several times on your crown alone, I suspect your dentist is struggling with his or her bonding skills. This may end up being a blessing in disguise.
Superglue, however, is a bad idea. For one, it will make it harder to get the crown off if you place it improperly. Placing a crown in its proper position is imperative both for your comfort and the health of your bite. If you place it too high, every time you bite down you’ll wish you had morphine (not a habit I’d recommend). Other types of misplacement can cause your bite to shift in a way that could lead to massive problems for you, including TMJ Disorder.
Handling Dental Emergencies When You’re Out of Town
In the United States, we have emergency dentists. They will see non-established patients the same day when there is a dental emergency. I’m positive the NIH in Great Britain has something similar. They can bond your crown back on properly. If for some reason you can’t find one, many pharmacies have over-the-counter dental cement. It will temporarily bond on your crown. If neither of those things seems available to you, call our office and I will try to find another solution.
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