Reattaching salvageable crowns.

Abstract

The technique of reattachment of broken, but otherwise intact, crowns is one worth exploring. The time constraints placed upon the dentist to evaluate this type of emergency patient can be quite burdensome. The technique offers an alternative solution to this problem. As dental practitioners, our first reaction to this type of emergency situation might include a series of logical steps to restore the tooth. These steps might include a new core build up with pins, then onto a temporary crown. A second alternative might be to initiate root canal therapy and manufacture a temporary post and crown. Still another option may include extraction of the tooth and an impression for an interim partial denture, later to be replaced by implant supported crowns, removable partial denture, or other prosthesis. Adding reattachment of the broken crown back onto the tooth gives just one more alternative to an otherwise lengthy and difficult set of possible solutions. Most of the more conventional types of treatment listed above can be quite time-consuming. Multiple appointments may be needed, and the shock in learning this reality may be overwhelming to the patient. Quite often, a patient that is in need of reattachment of a crown will have many other dental needs. Exhausting a patient's finances, as well as their time limits in restoring just one tooth may not be prudent. It may make more sense to repair, if only temporarily, one tooth and to go on to the next most pressing dental concern. Reattachment of the crown, although not always an easy solution, can be learned, and with practice, the technique can be expanded to include more difficult cases, including fractured bridges,and teeth with broken posts. These methods can be performed in one appointment with a high degree of success. Although it is best to advise the patient of the temporary nature of the treatment, it is quite likely that the repair will hold up almost as well as the original project.