Crowns

Your temporary crown is an important restoration design to protect your tooth while the permanent crown is fabricated by the lab. It is very important to keep the temporary clean and your gums healthy. Please brush normally. Flossing continues to be important, so please floss through the contact, then pull the floss out sideways, as snapping it back up can loosen the temporary crown. Because of the different shapes of teeth, some temporaries are easier to dislodge than others. We recommend some universal precautions. Please try to chew on the other side of your mouth as much as possible; as sticky foods could pull the crown off and hard foods could dislodge it. If the temporary falls off, it is normal for the tooth to be sensitive. Please gently place the temporary back on your tooth. A light coat of Vaseline or toothpaste inside the temporary will help it stay sealed. Then call us to have it re-cemented. If the temporary is off for too long the teeth can shift position making the permanent crown not fit.

Your New Crown
The permanent cement takes 24 hours to fully harden, so please treat your new crown like the temporary one for 24 hours. Once the cement has set, the crown will not come off. Ideally, you resume using that tooth normally, eating and chewing worry-fee, and brushing and flossing normally. Your new crown may be cold-sensitive for a time. If this lasts longer than a couple of weeks or increases over time, please call us to have the tooth checked. If you have any biting or chewing sensitivity please call us for a bite adjustment.

For most crown work you will be numb. This numbness generally wears off in 2-4 hours. Once the numbness wears off, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. It is normal to experience:

• Some swelling at the injection sites. This should resolve in two to four days.
  
• Some soreness of the jaw on opening and closing. This is caused either by the injection or because you were holding it open for the duration of the appointment.
  
• Increased sensitivity in that tooth for a variable time (a couple of days to a month).
  
• If you notice that the bite feels high once the numbing has worn off, please notify us right away. We will get you in to adjust the bite.
  
• You might also notice that the gums are sore. This is normal and saltwater rinses may be soothing.