Temporary dental crowns play an essential role in a tooth’s restoration. Most people don’t realize the various purposes a temporary dental crown serves such as:
Shifting- Without having a temporary crown in place you risk the treated tooth and the teeth around it shifting. If this occurs the space between teeth may begin to crowd, and there won’t be enough space for the permanent crown to be placed.
Super Eruption-This occurs when a tooth extends abnormally far from the jaw bone due to a lack of an opposing tooth. A temporary crown can keep an opposing tooth from moving, but without it the opposing tooth may drift into the area that the treated tooth is supposed to occupy.
Shaping gum tissue- If a temporary dental crown isn’t in place gum tissue can easily overgrow resulting in issues with placement of the permanent crown.
Protection of the Prepared Tooth- A prepared tooth is constantly exposed to saliva which can cause inflammation, sensitivity or possibly even pain.
If you lose a temporary crown it is best to have it recemented right away to prevent any changes to the prepared tooth. These changes can happen within only a day of losing your temporary crown. Follow these steps if you can’t get to your doctor after losing your temporary crown.
- Purchase a temporary cement or denture adhesive from a drug store
- Remove all temporary cement that is in the crown. This can be done with a pin or another pointy object. Be careful not to hurt yourself.
- Test how the crown fits before putting on temporary cement or adhesive.
- After taking note of how the crown is placed line the inside of the temporary with a thin coat of adhesive.
- Press down on the crown and then gently bite until the cement sets.
- Gently remove the excess cement using a toothbrush
If you have questions regarding your crown treatment, temporary crown, or need your temporary crown recemented, please contact Smiles Unlimited Dentistry, P.C.