Lost Dental Crown or Inlays/Onlays

Dental crowns and inlay/onlay are restorative dental treatments that are used to protect your teeth from further damage.

The damaged teeth may need full or partial coverage of the tooth structure to preserve them. A tooth that has been fractured, with a large filling, or one with decay underneath the filling, may require dental crown or inlay/onlay restorations.

On the other hand, these restorations may fall out for various other reasons as well.

Causes of Lost Crown and Inlays/Onlays

Decay – cavities can still access the tooth, even if it’s restored, and appear at the junction of the crown and tooth around the gum line.

Contamination – the bonding procedure can be compromised when the cement has been contaminated.

Chewy foods – eating too many chewy foods can gradually affect a tooth with a crown or inlay/onlay. The restoration can be pulled off by sticky food.

Cracks – cracks may form due to excessive force, which can eventually damage the restoration.

Bad habits – using your treated teeth as a tool to rip or open an object can cause a restoration to fall off.

Insufficient tooth structure – when there is no enough tooth structure for the crown to hold on. This is common in back teeth that are short or worn down through the years.

Repairing Lost Crown and Inlays/Onlay

If your restoration has come off, go to your dentist immediately. Your dentist at Thornton Dental can repair and permanently bond the affected restoration back to its original structure. Before permanently cementing the crown or inlay/onlay, the area will be disinfected thoroughly to prevent the access of bacteria near your restoration.