Here at our office, Dr. Kevin Caldwell often uses a dental crown to repair a tooth that is suffering from damaged enamel, large cavities or cosmetic imperfections. This is a two-stage process where the tooth enamel layer will be removed and eventually replaced by a crown made from gold, porcelain, or a base metal alloy.
A dental crown in Webb City, Missouri, needs to be fashioned in a professional dental lab. During the interim, your dentist will secure a hard, plastic cap, which is called a temporary crown, over the abutment to protect it.
Should your temporary crown be damaged or loosened or if it falls out, it could damage the abutment inside and cause significant complications. To reduce the chances of this happening, your dentist offers these basic suggestions to help maintain your temporary crown.
The temporary crown does not restore the tooth’s full ability to bite and chew food. So, it’s best to avoid chewing gum and eating sticky foods on that side of your mouth. The suction created has the potential to pull the temporary crown loose. You should also avoid biting down on hard or crunchy foods as it could potentially crack the plastic cap and significantly damage the abutment inside.
Maintaining healthy gums will also help the new crown seat comfortably with the gums surrounding the socket. You will need to brush and floss the temporary crown to remove plaque and residual food particles. If you’re having issues flossing the area, you might want to try using a brand of waxed dental floss.
If you have a problem with your temporary crown, you should call 417.673.1988 to have it examined and treated at our office.