If it turns up after all
A crown that resurfaces later can still be useful. Rinse it, keep it in a closed container, and bring it along. Leave any post or material inside untouched, and never fix it in with glue from around the house.
Restorative Dentistry
Lost Dental Crown Treatment in Mississauga
Sometimes the crown simply vanishes, swallowed with dinner or lost somewhere in the house. For Mississauga households, our lost dental crown treatment starts with the bare tooth itself and works out how to protect and re-cover it, with or without the original.
When there is nothing left to bringArrange an exam for the bare tooth
No crown? The tooth still has plenty to tell us.
A surprising number of crowns are never found. They slip out during a meal and get swallowed, roll under a couch, or disappear down a sink. What remains in your mouth is the prepared tooth, usually smaller and sometimes darker than its neighbours. That look is expected and does not, on its own, show whether the tooth is sound.
Without the crown in hand, the dentist relies more on the tooth: the cement left on it, the shape of the core, the gum around it, and signs of decay or fracture. Crowns usually come off because the cement broke down, the fit changed, or the tooth beneath weakened. The answer guides whether a new crown or other care is needed.
When calling from Mississauga, whether from Meadowvale, Churchill Meadows, or further east, explain when you noticed the gap and whether you think the crown was swallowed. Tell us how the tooth feels, and mention any injury or past root canal. We use that to arrange an assessment focused on the tooth you still have.
Three common starting points
Lost, broken, or found later.
You don't have to know why it happened. Share what you can remember, hold on to anything that turns up, and describe any discomfort so the right kind of visit can be booked.
If it is gone for good
Treatment does not depend on having the crown. Let the team know whether it went missing during a meal, overnight, or after a blow to the mouth, and save any small fragments you do find.
If the tooth starts to hurt
Note when it aches, what sets it off, and whether it seems to be worsening. Pain, swelling, or a sore, puffy gum may change how quickly you should be seen. Its colour is not a dependable sign of damage.
Call after any lost crown, even with no pain. If you may have inhaled it, or you are coughing, choking, wheezing, or short of breath, seek urgent medical care immediately.
What can be learned without the crown
The bare tooth sets the direction.
The dentist examines the remaining tooth structure, any cement or core material still attached, and the gum and bite around it. Those findings show whether the tooth is ready for a new crown, needs foundation work first, or calls for a different treatment.
The visit also makes clear what is short-term protection and what is the final restoration. A replacement crown typically involves more than one step, so ask how the tooth will be covered between appointments and what that temporary cover can manage.
Patient information: NHS Wales — advice after losing a filling or crown
Starting from the foundation
With nothing to refit, attention goes to whether the remaining tooth and core can support a new crown securely, and whether any repairs must come first.
Finding the reason it let go
Decay, a fracture, or a loose build-up may explain the lost crown. Identifying that matters, since a new crown placed over an untreated problem may not hold.
Steps laid out in order
Go over the appointments you can expect, how the tooth will be protected, any appearance concerns, and the estimate. If something must be clarified first, ask what is needed and how the tooth is cared for in the meantime.
At your appointment
Four steps from gap to covered tooth.
Bring any fragments that turned up and anything you know about earlier work on the tooth. If the bare tooth or the exam makes you uneasy, say so; the team will explain what they are checking and why.
Piece together what happened
You describe when and how the crown went missing, and the dentist looks closely at the tooth, gums, bite, and symptoms. An x-ray or another test may be suggested if it would clarify the condition beneath.
Examine the remaining foundation
Any cement, post, core, decay, or crack on the tooth is assessed. If the crown or pieces did turn up, they are checked as well before reuse is considered.
Choose temporary cover and a final plan
The diagnosis, choices, and fees are explained. The tooth may receive interim protection while a new crown or other treatment is planned, or a found crown may be suitable to recement.
Check comfort, fit, and what follows
After the agreed treatment, the dentist checks fit and bite. Confirm whether the covering is temporary, how to look after it, and how many visits remain.
While the tooth is uncovered
Shield the bare tooth until it is restored.
Ask for instructions that match your symptoms and stage of care. Implants, temporaries, and natural teeth that held crowns can each need their own guidance.
Rethink what you chew and where
Use the other side of your mouth where possible and avoid hard, sticky, or tough foods near the exposed tooth. If temperature causes a twinge, steer around it rather than testing the tooth over and over.
Keep the area clean and calm
Brush around the tooth gently as comfort allows, and ask for advice if it is sore to clean. Don't scrape or pick at it, and don't try to cover it with household materials.
Remember a temporary has limits
If interim cover is placed, follow its instructions and return for the next stage. The tooth may feel fine under a temporary long before treatment is actually complete.
Mississauga lost crown FAQ(905) 876-4488
Missing crown, common questions.
It can be unnerving to find a gap where a crown used to be. The examination is what separates a normal prepared tooth from one that needs more involved treatment.
I think I swallowed my crown. What should I do?
If you have no coughing, choking, or breathing trouble, call the clinic to arrange an assessment and ask your doctor or a pharmacist if you have concerns. If there is any sign it went into the airway, seek urgent medical care right away.
Does a crown have to be found before a new one can be made?
No. The dentist can examine the tooth and plan protection and restoration without it. Explain how it went missing and how the tooth feels. Having the old crown can help, but booking does not depend on it.
How can a dentist tell why my crown came off if it is gone?
The tooth itself offers clues: the cement left behind, the shape of the core, and any decay, crack, or gum change. Imaging may help too. Together those usually point to a likely cause.
Is the tooth weaker now that the crown is missing?
It is less protected. The prepared tooth was shaped to sit under a crown, so it can be more prone to chipping or sensitivity while bare. That is why an assessment and some form of protection are advised.
My bare tooth looks dark. Has it died?
Not necessarily. Old filling material, earlier treatment, staining, or decay can all affect colour. The dentist needs to examine the tooth and relevant findings before saying anything about its outlook.
If the lost crown sat on an implant, is that a different appointment?
Say so when you call, and keep any screw or part that came loose. The team assesses the implant and its connection rather than a natural tooth, so don’t use temporary crown cement on it.
Coming from Mississauga
A missing crown is a reason to call, not to wait.
Contact our Bronte Street clinic after a crown comes off or disappears. We'll examine the tooth, check any pieces you did find, and explain how to protect it now and restore it properly.
Keep any fragments that turn up, and call about pain, swelling, or concern that part of the crown is unaccounted for.
Visit Milton Dental ClinicUnit 1, 342 Bronte St. S, Milton, ON L9T 5B7Get directions
Clinic hours
- Monday–Thursday
- 11am–7pm
- Friday–Sunday
- By appointment only
Areas we serve
- Milton
- Oakville
- Mississauga
- Georgetown
- Halton Hills
- Acton
- Campbellville
- Brampton
- Burlington
- Puslinch
- Rockwood
- Erin
- Caledon
- Etobicoke
- Old Milton
- Bronte Meadows
- Timberlea
- Dorset Park
- Dempsey
- Clarke
- Beaty
- Coates
- Harrison
- Scott
- Willmott
- Ford
- Bowes
- Cobden
- Walker
- Mountain View
- Milton Heights
- Hawthorne Village
- Valley View
- Fallingbrook
- Nassagaweya
- Trafalgar
- Esquesing
- Nelson
- Brookville
- Moffat
- Glen Williams
- Norval
- Limehouse
- Stewarttown
- Ashgrove
- Hornby
- Silver Creek
- Speyside
- Scotch Block
- North Oakville
- River Oaks
- Glen Abbey
- West Oak Trails
- Palermo
- Bronte Creek
- College Park
- Joshua Creek
- Uptown Core
- Preserve
- Iroquois Ridge
- Lisgar
- Meadowvale
- Meadowvale Village
- Churchill Meadows
- Erin Mills
- Central Erin Mills
- Streetsville
- East Credit
- Creditview
- Heartland
- Sheridan
- Mount Pleasant
- Credit Valley
- Huttonville
- Churchville
- Springbrook
- Northwest Brampton
- Bram West
- Fletcher's Meadow
- Fletcher's Creek South
- Alton Village
- Orchard
- Millcroft
- Headon Forest
- Tansley
- Brant Hills
- Tyandaga
- Kilbride
- Lowville
- Aberfoyle
- Morriston
- Arkell
- Hillsburgh
- Freelton
- Carlisle
- Waterdown
- Flamborough
- Mountsberg
