Everything You Need To Know About Caring For Your Temporary Dental Crown

Posted on: 29 June 2022

New ceramic dental crowns are fitted as soon as possible, although they must first be manufactured to the specifications determined by your dentist—obtained with a manual mold of your tooth, or a 3D digital model. Your new crown won't take a great deal of time to be ready, but since your tooth has been prepared for its new crown, this means that some of your dental enamel has been shaved off to accommodate the dental restoration. It needs temporary protection, and this is why your dentist will fit a temporary crown.

How Long Will You Have the Temporary Crown for

You'll only have your temporary crown for a matter of weeks, if not days. It's likely to be made of acrylic, and will be pre-made (not custom-made, as your ceramic crown will be). It will be color-matched to the rest of your teeth, but acrylic materials can't quite replicate the translucency of dental enamel (which your ceramic crown will). It will look fairly natural, although not entirely. Acrylic restorations can quickly become discolored and tarnished, but this isn't going to be a problem given the brief period that you'll be using your temporary crown.

Temporary Crowns Have a Weaker Bond

The temporary crown will be cemented onto your tooth, but the bond is deliberately weaker than a permanent crown. This is because your dentist must soon remove the acrylic crown without damaging your tooth. Logically, your temporary crown won't be as secure as its permanent replacement, and this means you need to be a little cautious.

Avoid Sticky, Chewy, and Hard Foods

Be mindful of eating foods that are too sticky or chewy. Eating these foods can create strong suction inside your mouth, which can rip the temporary crown right off your tooth. Particularly hard foods can have the same result, as chewing these types of food can create pressure on your teeth, which may be enough to dislodge a temporary crown. Your dentist can tell you which foods are compatible with your temporary crown, and which should be avoided.

Brushing and Flossing a Temporary Crown

You'll need to brush the temporary crown as you would a natural tooth (which you'll need to do with your permanent ceramic crown, so it's helpful to practice this on your acrylic crown). Take care when flossing, as any upward motion during flossing can loosen a temporary crown. You'll have more control if you use an interdental brush instead of floss, so this can be a great solution. 

You should be cautious with a temporary acrylic crown, but this won't be the case when your new ceramic crown has been cemented into place. As far as your bite is concerned, it's back to business as usual when a permanent crown has been bonded onto a tooth. For more information on dental crowns, contact a local dentist.

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