Crown Fell Off and You Swallowed It? What to Do Next

First: Stomach or Airway?

Swallowing and inhaling feel different, and the difference outranks everything else here. A crown that went into the stomach leaves you with an odd feeling and little else. A crown that went into the airway does not.

Go to an emergency room, or call 101 for Magen David Adom, if you have any of these:

• Coughing that will not settle, or a feeling that something is stuck in your throat or chest.
• Wheezing, noisy breathing or trouble getting a full breath.
• Chest pain, or pain every time you swallow.

A dentist cannot fix this, and we would rather you did not stop to call us first.

If It Went Down and You Feel Fine

Crowns are small, smooth and made to survive years of chewing, so they tend to travel through the digestive system without incident. Do not make yourself vomit, do not take a laxative, and do not change what you eat. Some people choose to check the toilet for it. That is optional, and it is not a reason to put off your appointment.

A whole crown is bigger than most things people swallow, so mention it to your family doctor or your kupat cholim line rather than just waiting. The usual answer is to watch and wait. The doctor decides whether an X-ray is needed, which a dentist cannot judge from the chair.

See a doctor sooner if, over the following days, you get:

• Abdominal pain that builds rather than fades.
• Repeated vomiting.
• Blood in the vomit or stool, or a fever.

Most people who come to us after this have spent more time worrying about the crown in the stomach than the tooth in the mouth. The crown in the stomach is the part that tends to sort itself out.

The Tooth It Left Behind

Under every crown is a tooth that has been shaped down, and often one that has had a root canal or a large filling. Without the crown, that tooth is exposed. It can be sharp, sensitive to cold and air, and open to decay. Left for weeks, it can also drift just enough that the old crown no longer fits, and a simple recement turns into a new crown.

Until you are seen:

• Brush the area gently and rinse with warm salt water after eating.
• Chew on the other side.
• Take a painkiller you normally tolerate, as directed on the packet, if it is sore.
• If a sharp edge is cutting your tongue, a pharmacy temporary dental cement or dental wax can cover it. Do not use household glue.
• Skip very hot, very cold, sticky and hard food on that tooth.

Our guides on what to do when a crown falls off and on a temporary crown coming off go through the details, and a dark tooth under a lost crown explains the case that worries people most.

What Happens at the Visit

We look at the stump, take an X-ray to check for decay or a crack underneath, and check the bite. What happens next depends on what we find. If you brought back the crown, and it is intact, we will say whether it is worth keeping. Often the answer is that the tooth needs rebuilding or a new crown, and we explain which before anything starts, including the cost.

When It Happens on Friday or at Night in Beit Shemesh

Crowns come off on something chewy, and a long Shabbat table is as good a candidate as any. We are open Sunday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Shabbat is for genuine emergencies only, and after-hours emergency treatment is available outside those hours. We do not quote a response time, because an honest answer on the phone beats a number we cannot promise.

Dr. Joel treats in English and Hebrew, so you can describe what came off, and what you swallowed, without translating. Same-day appointments are often possible at the Beit Shemesh clinic. Our guide to emergency dental care on Friday and Shabbat helps you judge whether to call tonight, and emergency room or dentist covers the cases that belong in a hospital.

When It Can Wait

If you are breathing normally, the tooth is not painful and nothing is swelling, a lost crown is a this-week appointment, not a tonight one. Pain, a bump on the gum or swelling should be seen the same day if we can manage it. If swelling spreads toward your eye or neck, or you struggle to breathe or swallow, go to a hospital instead.

Call or WhatsApp us at 055-985-8845, tell us which tooth it was and whether it hurts, and we will say how soon to come in. The clinic is at Harav Kook 28/1, Beit Shemesh, and our emergency dentist page explains how urgent visits work.

For independent guidance, the ADA's MouthHealthy has pages on dental crowns and dental emergencies.