Can anything go wrong with a dental crown?

Crowns are a tried and tested form of dental treatment as countless patients will testify to. There are not usually any problems with a permanent crown but, problems can occur with a temporary crown.

Your dentist will fit you with a temporary crown whilst you are waiting for the dental lab to fabricate your permanent crown. This crown is cemented in place but with a much less stronger form of cement than used in the permanent one.

The temporary crown is made from plastic and because of this, can sometimes work itself loose.

Because of this your dentist will advise you to take some precautions whilst waiting for your new crown. These include the following:

• Avoid any hard chewing or sticky food: this means avoiding hard foods such as carrots or chewy sweets such as toffee!
• Minimise the load on the crown: by this we mean avoid too much chewing on the side of the mouth which contains the temporary crown. Try and eat on the other side of your mouth only.
• Take care when brushing and/or flossing your teeth: be careful when doing so as you may pull the crown off the tooth.

If you have any pain in your tooth or gums or if you notice that your tooth is unusually sensitive, contact your dentist.