You bit down on something hard and felt a piece of your crown give way. From Burlington, you can book an assessment that looks at the break, the crown material and the tooth it protects before anyone decides between repair and replacement.
An unpopped kernel, a cherry stone, a fork that slipped. Crowns are tough, yet a sudden hard bite can still chip or split one. The good news is that a small, well-contained break can sometimes be repaired, provided the crown around it is still worth keeping.
The first job is working out how far the damage goes. A flake off the surface of a firmly seated crown is a different matter from a crack that runs right through it, or from a crown that has started to lift or hides decay at its edge. Repairs are only appropriate once those deeper issues have been ruled out or addressed.
When you phone from Burlington, describe what you were eating, whether a piece came loose and how the tooth feels now. At the appointment we examine the whole crown and the tooth supporting it, then talk you through smoothing, a localized repair or a new crown, along with what each one realistically offers.
Your description helps the dentist decide how quickly to see you. Note whether the edge cuts your tongue, whether your teeth now meet unevenly and whether anything aches, since a tiny visible flake can sit on top of a larger fracture.
A new sharp edge is uncomfortable and worth checking soon. In some cases it can be refined safely in the chair. In others, smoothing would thin the crown too far, spoil its shape or cover up a crack that needs different care.
Breaks on visible crowns tend to bother people most. Tell the dentist what you would like improved and ask how closely bonded material is likely to match the crown, both right away and over the years that follow.
Breaks on the back teeth usually happen where chewing force is greatest. The dentist checks how your opposing teeth now strike the crown, because that pressure strongly affects whether a small repair would last.
Tell us if the crown moves, if biting hurts, if there is swelling, or if the break came from a fall or blow. A damaged crown and an injured tooth can show up together.
If only a small section broke and the rest is sound, repairing that section can keep a crown that still fits and functions. That route is worth a conversation when the crown is firmly attached and the tooth beneath shows no problem that would make a surface fix the wrong call.
Bear in mind that repair material and the original crown rarely age identically. How well a repair holds up and how closely it matches will depend on where and how the crown broke, and some fixes are only intended to tide you over. Ask which of those you are being offered.
A single chip does not automatically justify removing a crown. Examination reveals when a smaller fix is reasonable and when the break is too large, or lands somewhere too demanding, for repair to be sensible.
You may simply want the sharp edge gone, or you may want the missing piece rebuilt. Ask how each approach deals with your concern and whether the repaired spot could look slightly different afterwards.
One hard bite can explain a single chip, but repeat breaks suggest something else is going on. The dentist can look at your bite and habits so the repair is not simply waiting for the next failure.
No two broken crowns are handled exactly alike. You will be examined first and given a clear explanation of what is possible, including the chance that replacing the crown makes more sense than patching it.
The dentist examines the crown for cracks and movement, checks the gum and tissues around it and asks about your symptoms. Old notes on the crown material are useful, but what is seen today carries the most weight.
You and the dentist discuss which approach suits the break. Ask how the finished tooth should look, what the repair is expected to do, how to care for it and what would happen if it broke again.
If repair is the plan, the broken surface is prepared using a technique suited to that crown material. The dentist then builds and polishes the new section, or simply rounds off an edge when that is all it needs.
Your bite is tested against the repaired surface and you can say whether anything feels high or rough. Ask what to avoid for the first while and whether a follow-up is booked, especially for a temporary fix.
Precautions depend on exactly what was done. A smoothed edge usually asks less of you than a bonded build-up or a short-term repair, so confirm the instructions for your tooth before you return to your regular habits.
Kernels, pits, ice and hard candy can stress a repaired section just as they stressed the original crown. If you grind or clench, say so, since the dentist may want to discuss whether a night guard or further assessment is appropriate.
Brush and clean between your teeth as you have been advised. Plaque still gathers where the crown meets the tooth after any repair, so that edge needs regular care. Ask the team if the new contour makes flossing harder.
Contact us if the repaired area roughens, looks different or chips once more. Avoid sanding or filing it yourself at home. A fresh examination will show whether the original approach is still suitable.
Patient information: Cleveland Clinic — dental crowns
These answers link what happened to your crown with what a repair might achieve. Use them to prepare for the conversation at your appointment.
Book time at our Bronte Street clinic to have a chipped or cracked crown examined. We check the break, the restoration around it and the tooth that supports it, explain what a repair can reasonably do, and help you pick a sensible next step.
Bring the broken piece if you have it. Call right away about severe pain, swelling or a crown that has come loose so urgency can be discussed.
