After your dentist checks your damaged or decayed tooth, takes measurements, and send the impression for the preparation of your crown, you are going to have to wait for a few weeks until your crown is ready. Until that time, you may have to have a temporary dental crown in place. This crown allows you to eat and speak without any problem.

These crowns use temporary cement, which is easy to scrape. It allows the removal of a temporary crown without a significant effort.

Dental crown

Dentists usually fit a temporary dental crown during the first of two dental visits. During this visit, the dentist performs a physical exam of the tooth and takes the dental x-rays test of the problem area. The dentist may have to file down the sides of the affected tooth to make room for the permanent crown. The dentist then takes an impression of your bite, which includes the affected tooth, the surrounding teeth, and the tooth that comes against the affected tooth. This dental impression is sent to the dental lab, where laboratory professionals prepare a permanent dental crown.

It will take some time for a permanent dental crown to be ready, so your dentist will ask you to come for another appointment at a later date. Until that time, you will need to have a temporary crown, which restores the tooth’s functionality to some extent.

Caring for your dental crown

There is nothing special that you need to do to take care of your dental crown. Routine dental hygiene practices and other ways to take care of your teeth will do. You will want to prevent the formation of cavities under the dental crown. For this purpose, brushing your teeth twice every day is a must. Using fluoride toothpaste will help you remineralize the enamel of your natural tooth structure, reducing the risk of tooth decay or cavities.

When it comes to dental hygiene, you have to make sure that you are flossing your teeth regularly. Flossing helps you get rid of the plaque and food debris from interdental spaces. This cleaning activity will also protect the tooth that has a dental crown. The natural tooth structure under that crown can still be susceptible to decay and other infections, so you will want to take good care of your dental hygiene to prevent any problem in the future.

With a dental crown in place, you will have to pay attention to what and how you eat. A temporary dental crown is strong enough to support the chewing of foods, but you do not want it to come under unnecessary force. Being proactive can save you from a lot of trouble until you get a permanent dental crown. It is worth noting that you should start eating foods right away after getting a temporary dental crown. It will take at least 30 minutes for the dental cement to become strong enough to support chewing.

When you have got a temporary dental crown, make sure that you do not have it for a longer duration. If your dentist asks you to come back after two weeks, be sure to be there at the set schedule.