Europe with Temporary Dental Crown
May 31, 2017, 8:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
Europe with Temporary Dental Crown
Hello, this may seem like a random question but I am going to be in the Balkans and recently had to get a temporary crown on a tooth. Now I am a little peeved as food is an important part of my travels but they said to avoid sticky and hard foods. While that shouldn't be too difficult. I am wondering in the event my temporary crown falls off, what would be the best protocol to find a test to re-apply in the cities I am visiting?
May 31, 2017, 1:37 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I've found that in most developed countries it's pretty easy to google for local medical facilities. Expat forums are a good resource for finding English-speaking providers of various sorts if the language is an issue. You could also ask your hotel they often will have nearby providers listed. If you have travel insurance they should be able to help locate someone, too.
You might ask your dentist what he would recommend in general as far as the need or urgency of having it replaced. I know in the past when I've had a temporary crown, the dentist told me it wasn't really an emergency or anything, unless I was having sensitivity from the missing temporary. He advised keeping making sure the area was gently but thoroughly cleaned when brushing my teeth and to swish around with antiseptic mouthwash. But check with yours and see what he advises in your case.
I once let a tooth go without a temp crown for several months - long story - to no ill effects, but I certainly wouldn't take my experience as a dental recommendation!
Drug stores sell tubes of adhesive/cement for temporarily re-affixing crowns and such, but I've never tried any of them.
You might ask your dentist what he would recommend in general as far as the need or urgency of having it replaced. I know in the past when I've had a temporary crown, the dentist told me it wasn't really an emergency or anything, unless I was having sensitivity from the missing temporary. He advised keeping making sure the area was gently but thoroughly cleaned when brushing my teeth and to swish around with antiseptic mouthwash. But check with yours and see what he advises in your case.
I once let a tooth go without a temp crown for several months - long story - to no ill effects, but I certainly wouldn't take my experience as a dental recommendation!
Drug stores sell tubes of adhesive/cement for temporarily re-affixing crowns and such, but I've never tried any of them.
May 31, 2017, 6:23 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
I've found that in most developed countries it's pretty easy to google for local medical facilities. Expat forums are a good resource for finding English-speaking providers of various sorts if the language is an issue. You could also ask your hotel they often will have nearby providers listed. If you have travel insurance they should be able to help locate someone, too.
You might ask your dentist what he would recommend in general as far as the need or urgency of having it replaced. I know in the past when I've had a temporary crown, the dentist told me it wasn't really an emergency or anything, unless I was having sensitivity from the missing temporary. He advised keeping making sure the area was gently but thoroughly cleaned when brushing my teeth and to swish around with antiseptic mouthwash. But check with yours and see what he advises in your case.
I once let a tooth go without a temp crown for several months - long story - to no ill effects, but I certainly wouldn't take my experience as a dental recommendation!
Drug stores sell tubes of adhesive/cement for temporarily re-affixing crowns and such, but I've never tried any of them.
You might ask your dentist what he would recommend in general as far as the need or urgency of having it replaced. I know in the past when I've had a temporary crown, the dentist told me it wasn't really an emergency or anything, unless I was having sensitivity from the missing temporary. He advised keeping making sure the area was gently but thoroughly cleaned when brushing my teeth and to swish around with antiseptic mouthwash. But check with yours and see what he advises in your case.
I once let a tooth go without a temp crown for several months - long story - to no ill effects, but I certainly wouldn't take my experience as a dental recommendation!
Drug stores sell tubes of adhesive/cement for temporarily re-affixing crowns and such, but I've never tried any of them.
Great info! I just have a small chip on the 2nd molar in the upper back of the mouth. I know its not like an emergency or anything should it come off from a sticky or hard food but I think the worst part is the general anxiety of changing the way I would normally eat (smaller bites/chewing on the other side of my mouth) I feel like it could really impact how I normally eat when I travel which is eating everything! Were you chewing your foods normally with the temporary crown? Mine is in almost the very back so not sure if that is a good thing or not. They actually gave me the supplies to pop it back in but I am not trusting my own abilities doing that.
Jun 1, 2017, 2:22 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
I did two weeks in the Caribbean with a temp crown and admittedly worried about it at every meal. I brought a repair kit with me but as it turned out the temp held and was no issue. The notion of finding a dentist on some of the islands we visited didn't thrill me. 
Jun 2, 2017, 8:01 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
Thanks for the info! The dentist made the temporary crown for me "extra short" which apparently means its built for strength. They actually gave me the supplies to re-apply it so I am good there. Although, not sure if I could do it or not with where its located in my mouth but its the most basic of simple procedures to just pop it in, that I think would be ok with it despite how dentistry is far behind the USA. I just fear that I accidentally ingest my temporary crown when I am abroad now that would be a situation.
Jun 3, 2017, 5:34 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
Like others, I've done this more than once. Of course, Rule #1 is to avoid chewing on the side where you crown is located.
On a related note, years ago, Mrs Flies and I traveled to OZ right after she had emergency laser surgery to repair a torn retina. Our doc recommended that we check out relevant professional medical society websites and try to find member docs in the areas in which we were traveling. If you are fortunate enough to find someone, you have a leg up because you know they have to meet certain internationally-recognized standards just to gain membership. I'm sure similar organizations exist for restorative dentists.
Another key point is that, even in countries with single-payer health care systems, people who show up with a credit card go to the head of the line.
On a related note, years ago, Mrs Flies and I traveled to OZ right after she had emergency laser surgery to repair a torn retina. Our doc recommended that we check out relevant professional medical society websites and try to find member docs in the areas in which we were traveling. If you are fortunate enough to find someone, you have a leg up because you know they have to meet certain internationally-recognized standards just to gain membership. I'm sure similar organizations exist for restorative dentists.
Another key point is that, even in countries with single-payer health care systems, people who show up with a credit card go to the head of the line.
Jun 22, 2017, 4:40 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 311
Best to be careful in general with crowns. I lost a crown over a weekend and had an infection of some sort by Monday as there was a root canal. End result was an extraction of the tooth.
Last edited by gaelflyer; Jun 22, 2017 at 4:52 pm