A filling that dropped out, or a crown you're now holding in your hand, can be fixed today at our office on Madison Pike in Independence. Call (859) 555-0147 and we hold you a same-day slot at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. Keep the crown. Don't glue it back. Call first, since we don't take walk-ins.
The $89 covers the emergency exam and the X-rays needed to diagnose the tooth, for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Same-day appointments · $89 exam + X-rays · Phones answered 24/7 · Se habla español
How to tell a lost filling or crown needs fixing today
You bite into something chewy and feel a hard lump that isn't food, or your tongue finds a hole in a molar that wasn't there this morning. Either way, the tooth is now bare. Dentin, the layer under enamel, is softer and sits closer to the nerve. Cold air hits it. Sweet drinks sting. Food packs into the gap, and a sharp edge can cut your tongue.
A crown that came off whole can often go back on. A cracked crown, or one with part of the tooth still inside it, usually can't. A temporary crown that fell out matters too. The tooth under it was shaped down and needs cover. Call the same day in every one of these cases.
An ache that wakes you at night or throbs with your heartbeat points to the nerve. That's covered under toothache relief. If the tooth itself cracked or a corner broke away, see broken tooth repair.
What happens at your same-day visit
Put the crown in a small bag or a clean container. X-rays come first, then a look at the bare tooth: how much solid tooth is left, whether decay grew under the old restoration (a common reason they let go), and whether the nerve is healthy. You hear what we found and get the price in writing before any work starts.
From there, one of three things happens:
The filling is replaced. The tooth is numbed, soft decay is cleaned out, and a new tooth-colored filling is bonded in.
The crown goes back on. If the crown is whole, fits cleanly, and the tooth under it is sound, we clean both surfaces and cement it in place.
A new crown is made while you wait. When the old crown is cracked, no longer fits, or decay has reshaped the tooth, we make a CEREC same-day crown here in the office. The tooth is scanned, the crown is milled from ceramic, and it's bonded that same visit. No temporary, no second trip.
If the X-rays show the nerve is infected, the tooth may need an emergency root canal before it's covered. We explain that before you decide anything.
Cost of fixing a lost filling or crown in Independence, KY
If you're paying without insurance, the $89 is your exam and X-rays. The repair is quoted after we see the tooth, because re-cementing a sound crown and making a new one are very different jobs. Nothing starts until you've agreed to the written figure.
Patients with PPO or traditional dental insurance have the exam and X-rays billed to their plan. Call with your card handy and we check before you arrive. Cherry, LendingClub and CareCredit are available for the treatment portion. Our cost and insurance page goes into more detail.
Why patients choose our Independence office
Same-day slots are held at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. We're open until 5:00 PM on Monday and Wednesday, until 6:00 PM on Tuesday and Thursday, and closed Friday through Sunday. The phone is answered around the clock. Outside those hours an answering service notes what happened and reserves the first opening for you; call over the weekend and that opening is Monday at 9:00 AM. Crowns are made in-house. Our dentists are licensed in Kentucky. There's on-site parking.
Lost filling and crown repair near you across Northern Kentucky
Our office is at 5302 Madison Pike, Independence, KY 41051, on Madison Pike (KY 17 Business) in the center of town, a short way from the Independence City Building. From Fort Wright, take Kyles Lane to Madison Pike (KY 17) and stay south, about 8.5 miles and 14 to 20 minutes. From Ryland Heights, Decoursey Pike (KY 177) to Cox Road, Oliver Road and McCullum Road brings you west into town, about 6 miles and 15 to 20 minutes. From Edgewood, it's Dudley Pike or Thomas More Parkway to Madison Pike, then south, about 10 miles and 17 to 25 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK to glue my own crown back on?
No. Household glue and super glue aren't safe in the mouth, and they bond so hard that the crown can be ruined when we lift it off to clean the tooth. If the crown is whole and you want it in place for a few hours, a dab of toothpaste or denture adhesive holds it loosely until you're seen. Take it out before you sleep.
How long can a lost filling wait?
Days, not weeks. Bare dentin picks up decay quickly, and the tooth's remaining walls can crack without the filling to support them. Both turn a quick refill into a larger repair. Call (859) 555-0147 the day it happens and we fit you into a same-day slot. Until then, chew on the opposite side and stay away from very hot, cold or sweet food.
My temporary crown fell off. Does that count as an emergency?
It deserves a same-day call. The tooth under a temporary has been trimmed down and is tender when exposed, and the neighboring teeth can drift within days, so the permanent crown may not fit when it arrives. Keep the temporary, don't force it back on, and we either re-cement it or make you a new crown here.