Care Instructions
Care Instructions for Crowns and Bridges
Patient Home Care Following Crown or Bridge
Appointment
If you have had anesthetic, please be careful not to bite your tongue or the inside of your cheeks. Avoid eating chewy foods until the numbness has worn off. It is important that the temporary crown (or bridge) stay in place until the permanent crown is placed. If the temporary crown or permanent crown, veneer, or bridge becomes dislodged or feels uncomfortable, please call us so that we may see you as soon as possible. Do not attempt to “glue” (Absolutely No Super Glue) the temporary or permanent crown back on yourself or “go without it” as the teeth may become sensitive or shift slightly preventing placement of the permanent crown. You can use a denture adhesive like Fixodent or a dab of toothpaste to temporarily hold the crown, veneer, or bridge in place until you can get to our office. Some cold sensitivity and tenderness around the gum is normal for the first few days. It is not unusual for a permanent crown, veneer, or bridge to come unglued. Please call our office to make an appointment to have it re-cemented.
Avoid: Avoid chewing anything very hard or sticky on the temporary crown. Examples to avoid: Gum, Hard Crusty Bread, Taffy, or hard candy.
Brush as usual, but floss with care. When flossing, remove floss from the side of the tooth. It is important to brush and keep gum tissue as clean as possible.
Long Term Care of Your New Crown or Bridge:
Now that your crown or bridge has been cemented there are a few things to expect and to care for. Initially you may experience some sensitivity to cold as the tooth may be slightly irritated by the cement. Sensitivity toothpaste generally helps (i.e. Pronamel by Synsodyne or Crest for sensitive teeth). Also, if after a couple of days your “Bite” seems off or it just doesn’t feel
normal, please call our office for a slight adjustment. It is extremely important to maintain excellent oral hygiene with your new crown or bridge. Some people have the misconception that a crowned tooth no longer needs to be maintained. Crowns and bridges are still susceptible to decay near the gum-line the same as a natural tooth.
Most all crowns and bridges have a ceramic outer layer or are all-ceramic. These materials are very strong and color stabile, however, they still have the potential to fracture the same as a natural tooth. As a rule of thumb, don’t do anything with a crown or bridge that could damage a natural tooth. Avoid Chewing Ice. The extreme temperature change greatly increases the fracture of porcelain and natural teeth.
Fixed bridges require additional cleaning under the pontic (Missing tooth). Since this “False tooth” is connected to the adjacent teeth a bridge threader is used to thread floss under it to remove plaque. These are readily available at most pharmacies. We would be happy to demonstrate how to use them.
Our office policy is a one year warranty on crowns, bridges, or veneers only if regular 6-12 month cleanings and check-up appointments are kept by the patient.