HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR TEMPORARY AND FINAL DENTAL CROWN

Food:

• Avoid sticky, chewy foods on the side where the temporary is. Foods like gum, caramels, gummy bears, jelly beans etc. have the potential of grabbing and pulling off the crown.

• Avoid chewing hard foods such as carrots or apples as they may dislodge or break the crown.

• Minimize use of the side of your mouth with the temporary crown. Shift the bulk of your chewing to the other side of your mouth.

• If you have a temporary in the front, do not bite into any foods. Instead break or cut your food into chewable pieces.

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Brushing and Flossing:

• Brush area well and keep the tooth as clean as normal.

• When flossing, slide floss out rather than lifting out when cleaning your teeth. Lifting the floss out like you normally would could dislodge or pull off the temporary crown.

• Gums may be sore after treatment, keep area as clean as possible and rise gently with warm salted water.

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​Pain or Discomfort:

• If your bite feels ‘off’ or ‘not even’ call us so we can make an appointment to adjust your bite. Please don’t feel that you can ‘just get used to it’ as this may damage the temporary and the tooth!

• You may experience some discomfort after the anesthetic wears off and your tooth may feel sensitive to hot or cold until we get your permanent crown cemented into place.

• Any over-the-counter pain medication you take for minor aches and pains should help alleviate the pain. If your regular over-the-counter medication does not help with the pain, please call our office for further instructions.  

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If Your Temporary Crown Comes Off:

• Call us immediately! (847) 683-3464 Although the tooth may feel “okay", the tooth can shift causing the permanent crown to not fit properly.

• Temporary crowns are not strong- they may occasionally break or come away. If this does happen to occur, contact us immediately, and if possible bring the broken crown with you and we will replace it. 

• If you are unable to reach us, you can buy some dental adhesive from a pharmacist to fix the crown back in place at home until you are able to visit us. 

• Do NOT re-cement your temporary crown with super glue . Super glue is very toxic and can ‘burn’ the tooth causing damage to the nerve. Super glue can also cause the temporary crow to bond too well to the tooth and can cause the tooth to break when removing the temporary.

• If your temporary does not feel secure do not wear it while you sleep.

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Final Crown:

• When your final crown has been fitted, the same rules apply:

  • Do not chew hard or sticky food foods on the crown site for 24 hours from the time they are cemented.

  • You can, however, brush and floss as usual.

  • If you have received local anesthetic, do not eat anything or take hot drinks until you are no longer numb.

  • If gums are sore after placing final crown soak and gently rinse the are with warm salted water two times a day for at least five days.

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Continuing Your Dental Crown Care:

What problems could develop with a dental crown?

• Discomfort or Sensitivity:

  • Your newly crowned tooth may be sensitive immediately after the procedure as the anesthetic wears off.​

  • If the tooth that has been repaired with a crown still has a nerve in it, you may experience some sensitivity to heat and cold.

  • If sensitivity occurs brush with Sensodyne toothpaste- it should only last a few days. 

  • Pain or sensitivity that occurs when you bite down usually means that the crown needs to be adjusted, call our office and we will adjust it.

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• Chipped Crown:

  • Porcelain crowns can sometimes chip. ​

  • If the chip is small, a composite resin(white filling) can be used to repair the chip with the crown remaining in your mouth.

  • If the chip is extensive, the crown may need to be replaced.

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• Loose Crown:​

  • If you feel a crown becoming loose contact us as soon as possible to be seen.​

  • When crowns become loose it allows bacteria to get in and can cause decay to the tooth that remains.

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• Crown Falls Off:​

  • While unusual crowns sometimes fall off. ​

  • If this should happen to you, clean the crown and the front of the tooth.

  • You can replace the crown temporary using dental adhesive or temporary tooth cement sold at pharmacies.

  • Contact us as soon as possible. 

  • We may be able to re-cement the crown back into place, otherwise a new crown may need to be made.

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If you have any questions about temporary or final dental crown care,

please do not hesitate to call! (847) 683-3464