How to Reglue a Dental Crown

Dental crowns are porcelain or veneer caps, placed over teeth in order to extend the tooth's life after a root canal or other dental procedure. They are sometimes used to replace missing teeth. Crowns should be firmly attached to the teeth: a loose or missing crown can result in the teeth crowding together, allowing decay to form in the gaps. You can temporarily recement the crown to the tooth, but be sure to visit a dentist within 10 days for a permanent solution.

Things You'll Need

• Toothpaste
• Temporary filling material (from any pharmacy)
• Toothpick
• Paper Towel
• Floss

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Instructions

• 1

  Inspect the tooth inside your mouth. The tooth should resemble a flattened pyramid. Gently clean your tooth with toothpaste, a soft brush and dental floss.

• 2

  Clean the crown with toothpaste and a soft brush. Use a toothpick to remove the old cement from inside of the crown. The crown should be hollow, with or without a small post.

• 3

  Seat the crown in your mouth without cement. The crown may only fit in a certain way--before you put in the cement you should make sure you know which way the crown should go on.

• 4

  Check your bite. If you have positioned the crown correctly, you should be able to bite down normally. In other words, if the crown hits first when you bite down and no other teeth are touching, you probably have it on the wrong way.

• 5

  Remove the crown. Dry your tooth and crown thoroughly by dabbing with a paper towel.

• 6

  Apply a thin layer of cement to your tooth and to the crown's interior.

• 7

  Bite down for the time recommended on your tube of cement (usually two or three minutes).