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If you have a temporary crown or know you’ll need one soon, you may wonder what you should or shouldn’t do to care for it. here are our best tips!
A dental crown is a prosthetic tooth used to protect a natural tooth or a dental implant. In many instances, your dentist may choose to place a temporary crown while one that fits your mouth is custom-made.
All of the outstanding dentists at Solomon Family Dentistry are experts in providing crowns when our patients need them. Very often, a temporary crown is needed until a permanent crown can be custom-made to fit perfectly in your mouth. Because a temporary crown is designed to be temporary, it’s not as durable as a permanent crown, and you may need to take a few precautions while you have it.
When crowns are necessary
A dental crown is a covering that fits over either a weakened natural tooth or a dental implant. They are usually made of a material like porcelain or ceramic to look like your natural tooth, but may also be made of metal like gold or stainless steel.
Crowns can protect a tooth that is weak due to decay, a crack, or that has a large filling, among other things. A crown can also be attached to a dental implant, a metal post implanted into your jawbone to mimic a natural tooth’s roots. In this case, the crown fills the gap where your natural tooth was and allows you to eat and speak comfortably.
Why temporary crowns are used
A permanent crown is custom-designed to fit your mouth. We make sure that your permanent crown is the right shape and color so that it matches your other teeth. To do that, we take an impression of your mouth and use it to create a perfect crown for you.
To place your permanent crown on a natural tooth, your dentist files down your existing tooth to make space for the crown. Without the protection of a temporary crown, bacteria could get into your filed-down tooth while you wait for your permanent one.
When you have a dental implant, your dentist implants a titanium post into your jawbone, and you must wait for it to heal before you can get your permanent crown placed. In the meantime, you need a temporary crown to protect the implant.
Caring for your temporary crown
Your permanent crown is designed to be very durable and last a lifetime. Your temporary crown, though, is a bit more fragile. The following tips can help you care for your temporary crown:
- Be very gentle when you brush and floss each day
- Avoid sticky, chewy, crunchy, tough, hard foods
- Avoid very sugary foods and drinks
- You may have increased sensitivity to hot and cold, so be careful eating and drinking
Additionally, there’s a small possibility that your temporary crown can come off. You may want to keep some denture adhesive on hand to keep the crown on until you get to the dentist.
We are always happy to answer your questions, so if you want to know more about caring for a temporary crown, schedule an appointment at any of the convenient locations of Solomon Family Dentistry.
