Lost a Filling or Crown? What to Do Until You See the Dentist
- Star Light Dental
- May 7, 2026
- [email protected]
You bite into something chewy and feel a crunch that was not on the menu. A moment later your tongue finds a hole, or there is a crown sitting in the palm of your hand.
A lost filling or crown is rarely a true emergency, but it is not something to leave for weeks either. The tooth underneath is weakened and exposed. Here is what to do in the meantime.
1. First, Do Not Panic
If there is no pain, you have a few days, not a few months. Find the crown if you can, rinse it and keep it somewhere safe, because in many cases it can be put straight back on. If you have swallowed it, it will almost always pass without any trouble.
The one exception: if you think you may have inhaled it, and you are coughing, wheezing or short of breath, go to a hospital emergency department.
2. Protecting the Tooth
- Keep the area clean. Brush gently and rinse with warm salty water after meals.
- Chew on the other side, and avoid hard, sticky and very hot or cold foods.
- If the tooth is sensitive, a toothpaste for sensitive teeth dabbed on the exposed area can help.
- Pharmacies sell temporary filling material that can be pressed into the hole to cover it for a few days.
- If there is a sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek, a little sugar-free gum or dental wax over it will protect you until it can be smoothed.
3. Refitting a Crown Temporarily
If the crown is intact and the tooth is not painful, you can usually seat it back in place until your appointment. Clean the inside of the crown gently, check which way round it goes, and try it in first without any cement.
Then use a temporary dental cement from the pharmacy, following the directions on the pack. In a pinch, a small smear of denture adhesive will hold it for a short time. Bite down gently to check that it sits properly. Take it out before bed if it feels at all loose, so there is no risk of swallowing it in your sleep.
4. What Never to Do
- Never use superglue or any household glue. It is toxic to the tooth and gum, it sets the crown in the wrong position and it can make the crown impossible to reuse.
- Do not force a crown on if it will not seat easily.
- Do not poke at the hole with pins or toothpicks.
- Do not ignore it because it has stopped hurting.
5. Why It Happened
Fillings and crowns do not usually fall out without a reason. The common ones are new decay creeping underneath, old cement slowly washing out, a crack in the tooth, night-time grinding, or simply age. Sticky foods such as toffees and minties are often the final straw rather than the real cause. Working out the reason matters, because it decides how the tooth should be repaired.
6. How We Fix It
- A crown that is sound, on a tooth that is sound, can often be cleaned and re-cemented in a single short visit.
- A lost filling is replaced, usually with a tooth-coloured filling.
- If there is decay or a fracture underneath, the tooth may need a new crown.
- If the nerve is involved, root canal treatment comes first.
The sooner the tooth is covered again the better. Left open, it can decay quickly, break further, and the neighbouring teeth can drift so that the old crown no longer fits.
Bring the Crown With You
Call Star Light Dental in Prestons on (02) 9432 2833 and let us know what has happened. If you are in pain, same-day emergency appointments are available most days. And bring the crown, even if you think it is past saving.