Lost Crown or Filling — Bring the Piece
A lost crown or filling leaves dentin open to air, cold, and sweets. Reattachment is often possible if you keep the crown.
What is happening?
The restoration is no longer on the tooth. Typical reasons are new decay under it, cement or bond that failed with age, a hard or sticky bite, or a fracture of the filling or of the tooth that was holding it.
Same-day care
Common symptoms
- A sudden gap or sharp edge your tongue finds
- Sensitivity to air, cold, or sweets
- Food packing into the space
- A crown loose in your mouth or in your hand
Is it urgent?
Pain to air or temperature. A sharp edge cutting the tongue or cheek. Any swelling — that is same-day, not 'when you have time'.
Until the crown or filling is replaced
Keep the piece
Put the crown or any fragment in a clean bag and bring it. Reattachment is often possible. Do not glue it with household adhesive — those products are toxic and can ruin a recement.
Chew elsewhere
Use the other side. Pharmacy dental wax can cover a sharp edge for a few hours.
Call for a same-day or next-day visit
An open tooth collects decay quickly. Swelling means do not wait for the next week.
Common causes
Recurrent decay under the restoration · Cement or bond that failed with age · Biting something hard or sticky · Fracture of the filling or the remaining tooth · Decay at a crown margin
How we diagnose it
We look at what is left of the tooth, whether decay is under the old restoration, and whether the crown you brought still fits. An x-ray checks the nerve if the tooth is sensitive or the break is deep.
How we treat it
Recement when it fits
A crown that still fits, on a tooth without new decay, can often be cemented the same day.
Replace when it does not
A lost filling or a crown that no longer fits needs a new restoration — a filling, onlay, or crown. Same-day milling is possible for many of those teeth, not all.
Case examples
See before-and-after cases for this type of treatment. Individual results vary.
See example results →Related pages
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? Our team is happy to help over the phone.
(416) 483-0000Can you put my old crown back on?
Often, if you bring it and the tooth underneath is still sound. Household glue makes that harder. Keep the crown dry in a bag, not stuck back on with supermarket adhesive.
I lost a filling and it only hurts with cold. Can it wait?
A day or two is common. Swelling, a cutting edge, or pain that lingers should be the same day. An open dentin surface decays faster than a sealed tooth.
Are lost crowns and lost fillings the same visit?
They are the same kind of problem — a restoration that is no longer protecting the tooth — so they share this page. The repair itself depends on which one came off.
Read this as education
These are common patterns, not a diagnosis of your tooth. Your dentist determines the cause during an examination.