emergency dentistry
Lost a filling or crown? Keep it. Don't glue it.
Good news first: this is the most fixable emergency on our list, and it's usually painless. Find the crown if it came off whole, keep it safe, and call 434-823-4080 for a time this week. The tooth underneath is soft-cored and exposed, so this week — not this month.
Until your visit
For a lost crown: pharmacies sell temporary dental cement. Clean the crown, dry the tooth, and seat it with the temporary cement if it fits without force. Never superglue, never household adhesive — both can end a crown's career and complicate the tooth's.
For a lost filling: temporary filling material from the same pharmacy aisle plugs the hole and calms sensitivity. Chew on the other side; skip sticky and hard foods entirely — they're usually what pulled it out.
Sensitivity to cold and air is normal with exposed inner tooth. Sharp spontaneous pain or swelling is not — call and say so, and the timeline moves up.
What happens at the visit
A crown that's intact and a tooth that's sound often reunite the same visit — cleaned, cemented properly, done. If decay under the crown is why it let go, you'll see it on the X-ray yourself, and we'll talk through the repair before doing anything.
A lost filling gets replaced outright; if the cavity has outgrown filling territory, the honest upgrade path is a crown, priced before you decide.
Questions we hear in the chair
- I swallowed the crown. Now what?
- It happens more often than anyone admits, and it's almost always harmless. Skip the recovery mission — a new crown gets made from a fresh scan. Call and we'll get you scheduled.
- Why did my crown come off?
- Sticky food, worn cement, or decay quietly undermining the fit. The visit answers which — and the answer decides whether it's a re-cement or a remake.
- Can I just leave the gap if nothing hurts?
- The exposed tooth is softer than enamel and wears fast; neighbors also drift into the space surprisingly quickly. Weeks of delay can turn a re-cement into a rebuild — this week beats this month by real money.
- Is the temporary cement from the pharmacy safe?
- Yes — it's designed for exactly this, holds for days, and comes off cleanly at the visit. Its whole job is bridging you to us without damage.
Clinical content reviewed by Dr. Marissa DeAngelis, Senior Dentist.
Serving Crozet for 50+ years. At least two full-time doctors in the building, Monday through Friday. Call for current availability.