Dental crowns can greatly improve the looks of a smile and therefore are popular restorations. To ensure their longevity, you need to care for them like you do natural teeth. Therefore, it is important to brush and floss at least twice a day. Use a water flosser to make sure you remove plaque along the gum line as well. The following information offers additional tips for caring for dental crowns.
What are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are restorations that can be placed just about anywhere in the mouth. Often, they are placed over a tooth to treat a crack or a tooth with extensive decay. They can also be used when a tooth has become chipped or requires a root canal. We also place crowns over dental implants. If a crown is placed on the back teeth or molars, we usually recommend a fused to metal crown while we prescribe ceramic crown for the front teeth, as they are subject to less stress or pressure when chewing. If you need a crown placed on the front and you want to get your teeth whitened, you will need to color match the new crown to the whitened teeth first. Therefore, the teeth need to be whitened before adding the crown.
Caring for Your Crown – What to Avoid
When you have a crown or crowns, always use a toothpaste that is less abrasive and avoid chewing on hard candies or other hard foods. You should avoid biting your nails or pencils or pens as well. Also, it is crucial to watch out for foods that can stain the crown and the adjacent teeth. Crowns usually withstand stains pretty well. However, if your other teeth become stained, it could cause the crown to stand out. Foods or beverages that stain the teeth include blueberries, chocolate, colas, coffee, and black tea. If you drink coffee, add milk to the beverage to reduce the risk of discoloration. Always drink water after you eat any stain-producing food.
Crowns are great restorations. If you need to repair damaged teeth, get a root canal, or implants, we can provide further details. Some crowns can be placed in a day. Give us a call to set an appointment for an exam and evaluation now.
