Dental crowns

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 toffees), which have the potential of grabbing and pulling off the crown.
• Minimise 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.

Second visit: Receiving the permanent dental crown.

At your second visit, your dentist will remove your temporary crown and check the fit and colour of the permanent crown. If everything is acceptable, a local anaesthetic may be used to numb the tooth and the new crown is permanently cemented in place.

What problems could develop with a dental crown?

• Discomfort or sensitivity. Your newly crowned tooth may be sensitive immediately after the procedure as the anaesthesia 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, tell 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 dental surgery.
• 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 for this purpose. Contact your dental surgery immediately. He or she will give you specific instructions on how to care for your tooth and crown until you can get an appointment. 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.