Dental Crowns: Aftercare and Recovery Period

What Are Dental crowns?

They are tooth-shaped, tooth-colored oral restorations that repair and rebuild damaged teeth. Since dental crowns in Bellaire look like teeth enamels, they replace the exterior or natural teeth.

The most common types of dental crowns are porcelain crowns. They feature porcelain, a sturdy, natural-looking material that closely mimics natural teeth. However, your dentist in Bellaire can install other types of crowns, including gold crowns and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

What Should You Expect When Getting Dental Crowns?

The procedure for dental crowns near you entails a slightly invasive procedure that necessitates local anesthesia. It will numb your mouth, so you do not feel any pain during treatment. After numbing, your dentist will begin drilling the target tooth. The goal is to shave off as much tooth enamel as has incurred damage while creating a room or a dental crown near you.

After drilling, your dentist 77401 will take impressions of the prepared tooth. The impressions help create a mold that will guide the creation of your tooth crown. Traditional dental crowns take time to be readied. The procedure occurs in a dental laboratory and taking up to two weeks to complete. Therefore, your dentist will place a temporary crown over your prepared tooth, protecting it as you wait for your permanent one.

On the second dental visit at Tara Dental Group, the dentist will use dental cement and a laser to adhere the crown to your natural tooth structure through a dental bonding procedure. At this, your crowned tooth should look and feel like the rest of your natural teeth.

What Happens After Getting Dental Crowns?

Immediately after your procedure, your mouth will feel sore due to the treatment. However, the soreness and discomfort should resolve after a few days. Besides, the two weeks you wait to get your permanent crowns are enough to resolve any discomforts you experience due to dental work. During the initial days after your procedure, the following tips are crucial:

1. Do not eat while your mouth is numb – you risk biting and hurting yourself since you cannot feel your oral features.
2. Eat soft foods only to avoid aggravating your gums and jaw.
3. Chew away from the treated tooth – the stakes are higher when you still have a temporary crown.
4. Avoid lifting or removing the temporary crown – its role is to protect the underlying tooth structure. Removing it increases the risk of infection.
5. Avoid smoking or alcohol – particularly the first few days after getting temporary tooth crowns.

Aftercare Tips Post Dental Crown Treatment

Preparing for life after treatment is crucial to the success of your procedures. After getting dental crowns near you, you need to make a few adjustments in your daily routines. Some entail cleaning habits, while others revolve around what you eat. They include:

1. Avoid hard and crunchy foods – although dental crowns are sturdy, they are not nearly as strong as natural teeth. Eating hard foods can crack, chip, or break your dental crowns.
2. Wear a mouthguard at night – the mouth protector will alleviate the pressure of grinding your teeth in your sleep. This tip is usually relevant to patients that grind their teeth at night.
3. Abandon bad oral habits – particularly biting your fingernails.
4. Extreme temperatures – eating too old or hot foods and liquids can be uncomfortable after dental crowns.
5. Avoid sticky foods – even though a permanent crown does not dislodge as easily as a temporary one, it can still have complications if you eat sticky foods. Besides, the last thing you want is chewing gum to get stuck underneath your dental crown.
6. Keep your mouth clean – dental cavities and oral infections can still develop under a tooth crown if you neglect your oral hygiene.
7. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush when cleaning your teeth – too much abrasion can damage your dental crowns. Further, learn the right techniques for brushing and flossing teeth to avoid using too much force that will heighten sensitivity and introduce various oral complications.

Summary

 Although dental crowns are slightly invasive, it is nothing compared to oral surgery. Therefore, the recovery period will not take very long, especially if you are keen to follow your dentist’s guidelines.