Dental Crowns (cont.)
How Should I Care for My Temporary Dental Crown?
Because temporary dental crowns are just that—a temporary fix until a
permanent crown is ready, most dentists suggest that a few precautions be taken
with your temporary crown. These include:
-
Avoid sticky, chewy foods (for example, chewing gum,
caramel), which have the potential of grabbing and pulling off 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.
-
Avoid chewing hard foods (such as raw vegetables),
which could dislodge or break the crown.
-
Slide flossing material out-rather than lifting
out-when cleaning your teeth. Lifting the floss out, as you normally would,
might pull off the temporary crown.
What Problems Could Develop with a Dental Crown?
- Discomfort or sensitivity. Your newly crowned tooth may be sensitive
immediately after the procedure as the anesthesia begins to wear off. If the
tooth that has been crowned still has a nerve in it, you may experience some
heat and cold sensitivity. Your dentist may recommend that you brush your teeth
with toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth. Pain or sensitivity that occurs
when you bite down usually means that the crown is too high on the tooth. If
this is the case, call your dentist. He or she can easily fix this
problem.
- Chipped crown. Crowns made of all porcelain can sometimes chip. If
the chip is small, a composite resin can be used to repair the chip with the
crown remaining in your mouth. If the chipping is extensive, the crown may need
to be replaced.
- Loose crown. Sometimes the cement washes out from under the crown.
Not only does this allow the crown to become loose, it allows bacteria to leak
in and cause decay to the tooth that remains. If your crown feels loose,
contact your dentist's office.
- Crown falls off.
Sometimes crowns fall off. Usually this is due to
an improper fit or a lack of cement. If this happens, clean the crown and the
front of your tooth. You can replace the crown temporarily using dental
adhesive or temporary tooth cement that is sold in stores for this purpose.
Contact your dentist's office immediately. He or she will give you specific
instructions on how to care for your tooth and crown for the day or so until
you can be seen for an evaluation. Your dentist may be able to re-cement your
crown in place; if not, a new crown will need to be made.
- Allergic reaction.
Because the metals used to make crowns are
usually a mixture of metals, an allergic reaction to the metals or porcelain
used in crowns can occur, but this is extremely rare.
- Dark line on crowned tooth
next to the gum line.
A dark line next to
the gum line of your crowned tooth is normal, particularly if you have a
porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. This dark line is simply the metal of the crown
showing through.
Next: What are "onlays" and "3/4 crowns"? »
- Root Canal - Read about root canal complications, pain, costs and symptoms and signs that a root canal is needed. The dental procedure is a treatment used to save an infected tooth.
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) - Read about temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) causes, symptoms (headaches, jaw popping, ear pain, dizziness, tinnitus), diagnosis and treatment (surgery, medications).
- Dentures - Get information about complete and partial dentures, costs, problems, types of denture adhesive, and how dentures are made. Plus, get tips on getting used to dentures.
Latest Medical News
|
|
 |
From WebMD
Oral Health Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
|
Oral Health RSS