What To Expect From A Temporary Crown

If you're having a permanent crown installed on a tooth soon, you will most likely be fitted with a temporary crown at first. Your dentist will need to carefully size your tooth and order a custom-made crown for you, which can take a little time. In the meanwhile, your dentist will fabricate a temporary crown to protect your tooth from damage. While this process usually doesn't cause any problems for patients, there are some things you should know in order to improve your experience with a temporary crown.

Normal Vs Abnormal Discomfort

Just like a filling or any other dental procedure that changes the dimensions of your teeth, a temporary crown may feel a bit odd in your mouth at first. This is because you're growing accustomed to the new shape of your tooth. This feeling should fade quickly, in as little as a few hours or as much as a few days. Rest assured that your dentist has carefully created your temporary crown to fit as closely to your surrounding teeth as possible.

If you experience any discomfort with your temporary crown, you should contact your dentist. Temporary crowns should serve to protect your teeth and shouldn't cause any pain or discomfort. If you do have any, it could indicate that you have an infection developing in your tooth. Seek dental support immediately if you feel any pain to reduce the risk of serious damage to your teeth.

What to Avoid

Permanent crowns can hold up to just about everything a real tooth can, but temporary crowns are just that: temporary. They're designed to be able to withstand moderate temperatures and pressure, but may not be able to survive more intense demands.

As a result, it's important to go easy on your temporary crown while you have it. Avoid sticky or hard foods that could cause the crown to become loose or dislodged. You should also avoid very hot food, as it could potentially weaken the temporary dental cement that's holding your crown in place.

Lastly, when it comes to dental hygiene, you should continue to brush, floss, and use mouthwash. However, when you floss around the crown, slide the floss out from between your teeth rather than pulling it up and out like you normally would. This will reduce the likelihood of loosening your crown.

When To Proceed

When your dentist receives your new, permanent crown, you can set up an appointment to head into the dentist's office to have it installed. Your dentist will remove the temporary crown and clean off all the adhesive on your tooth. Then, they'll carefully adhere your new crown to your tooth, permanently affixing it to your tooth and protecting it from damage and harm.

Getting a temporary crown isn't a big deal, but these practices can help you to have a better experience with one. Talk to your dentist if you have any questions or would like to get more info.