Lost a filling or crown

What to do

1. Keep what came out. Put the filling or crown in a small container and bring it to your appointment.
2. Rinse with warm water. Gently clear food out of the hole.
3. Patch the hole with temporary filling material from a pharmacy. Follow the package directions. No kit? A small piece of sugarless gum can cover it for the night.
4. Crown came off? If it seats fully, it can be held with temporary dental cement from the pharmacy. If it doesn’t fit, leave it out. Ask first if it sits on an implant or a post.
5. Chew on the other side. Keep hard, sticky, very hot and very cold food off that tooth.

What not to do

• Don’t patch over throbbing pain or swelling. Call your dentist.
• Don’t use superglue or household glue.
• Don’t put aspirin on the gum or tooth.
• Don’t treat the patch as the fix.