Even when
one of your teeth is scheduled to receive a crown, your dental professional
needs to protect that tooth before the permanent, final crown is ready and dropped
off with the dentist’s office within two or three weeks. While the temporary
crown’s color may not match your natural teeth, you should be able to speak and
eat as you normally would during this transition period. If you suspect you
will need a temporary crown in the future, here is what you should know about
the process.
Dental Crowns
A
crown provides a protective covering for both dental implants and natural
teeth. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), whenever teeth are
discolored, weak from bad fillings, or badly shaped, a crown can provide a
striking fix. Dental professionals may suggest a crown whenever there’s little tooth
left or none at all, or they can be used for anchoring bridges to replace a
missing tooth or those about to be extracted.
How Crowns are Made
During
the first of two appointments, your dental professional can fit a temporary
crown as well as x-ray the problem spot and treat for possible lingering decay.
As a way of making room for your permanent crown, the dentist files down your
natural tooth over the top and sides. They then take impressions of your filed
tooth—including those below and above it—and send the impressions onto a dental
lab to create the permanent crown. Since this process can take up to three
weeks, your dentist places a temporary crown in order to protect the tooth
until your next visit. During the second visit, after your permanent crown is
delivered, the dentist will remove your temporary crown before fitting the
permanent one in place.
Temporary vs. Permanent
There
are several differences between permanent and temporary crowns, but this
largely comes down to a dentist’s cement choice. It’s important to remember
temporary crowns only last several weeks while permanent crowns can last between
five and 15 years if proper care is implemented. Temporary crowns are made of plastic
or metal, but some permanent crowns are made via high-quality porcelain or even
porcelain that’s been bonded with gold. Regarding temporary crowns, the cement that
dentists use for fixing temporary crowns is easily breakable, as they must be in
order for dentists to easily attach permanent crowns afterward.
Temporary Crown Care
Normal
brushing with fluoride toothpaste should help care for a temporary crown just as
it would with normal teeth. When caring for temporary crowns, you should keep a
few things in mind—for one, immediately after your temporary crown has been
fitted, avoid eating for half an hour while the crown cement sets. Stickier
foods could pull the temporary crown right off the tooth, so remember to also
avoid these foods until your permanent crown is in. If your temporary crown
does fall off, you can get it back into place via personal denture cement until
you see your dentist again. It's crucial that you not leave the temporary crown
outside your mouth for a long amount of time, as the teeth can actually move,
making the fitting of a permanent crown challenging.
Need dental
work but don’t have insurance? Our New Hampshire supplemental
dental insurance
can help offset some of those bills. For more information or
to sign up for coverage, click here.
