CROWN POST-OP INSTRUCTIONS
Dental crowns are dental restorations that act as a cap over a damaged or decayed tooth. Crowns are used when the extent of the damage or decay cannot be adequately restored with a filling. To place a dental crown, you will undergo two dental appointments. The first is to prepare the tooth and the second is to cement the permanent restoration. Each procedure will have its own set of post-op protocols for you to follow.
Post-Op Protocols for Your Tooth Preparation Appointment:
Instructions
⦁ No hard, chewy or sticky foods. DO NOT chew gum or eat sticky candy.
⦁ If your temporary is in the front of your mouth, avoid biting into foods. Cut your food up and chew with your back teeth.
⦁ Brush the area normally using a soft toothbrush. Focus on keeping the gum line clean. When flossing, pop the floss through the area, clean in between, and then SLIDE THE WHOLE PIECE OF FLOSS OUT OF THE SIDE. Do not pop the floss back out as you may dislodge your temporary.
⦁ If you use a Water flosser please avoid using it around your temporary crown.
Temporary Crowns
⦁ Temporaries feel different than your natural tooth and the permanent crown. Your tongue will be curious about the temporary, but try to leave it alone.
⦁ Make sure to follow all the instructions to avoid having to re-cement.
⦁ If your temporary comes off and you do not have discomfort and your crown seat appointment is LESS THAN 5 DAYS away, it is okay to leave the temporary off.
Anesthetic
⦁ When anesthetic has been used, your lips, cheek, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Lip and gum numbness may last for up to 5 hours from when the anesthetic was given.
⦁ Avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off to avoid biting or burning your tongue or lips.
⦁ It is normal to be sore in the site of injection for several days.
Discomfort
⦁ After your appointment, it is NORMAL to experience soreness at the injection site, gum tenderness, mild sensitivity to temperature and pressure, and a roughness against your tongue. These will resolve once your permanent crown is placed
⦁ You may take over the counter pain relievers (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen) for tenderness or discomfort.
⦁ Your gum around the tooth may be sore from the procedure for a few days. Rinse with warm salt water every 2-3 hours as needed. To make warm salt water, mix 1/2 teaspoon salt with 1 cup WARM water.
⦁ Please let us know if you have severe unprovoked pain, pain that wakes you up from sleep, pain that lasts for than 3 days, or pain that is getting worse. Our office number is 832.510.8791.
Your next appointment
⦁ Your crown seat appointment typically lasts about 60 minutes.
⦁ Typically, we do not use anesthetic during crown seat appointment because this allows you to make sure that the permanent crown feels great before it is permanently placed. For most people, crown seats are painless. For some, they have slight sensitivity when the temporary is removed and right before the crown is cemented.
⦁ Please let us know at the beginning of your appointment if you have any questions or concerns.
What should I expect after my permanent crown is cemented in place?
Once your permanent crown has been cemented in place, you will need to allow the cement to completely harden in the first 24 hours. Because of this, you must avoid chewing hard or sticky foods, as well as avoid using a rotary toothbrush or flossing around your permanent crown for the first 24 hours. In addition, you may also notice small pieces of excess bonding material around your new crown. Most of these pieces will eventually fall off while brushing, however if you feel anything sharp, come into our office and we can remove it.
When can I eat?
You can eat as soon as your mouth regains feeling. During your procedure, a local anesthetic will be used to numb your mouth and keep you comfortable. This will cause your lips, teeth, and tongue to remain numb for up to five hours after your procedure. The amount of time you will remain numb depends upon how much anesthetic was used, where it was used, and how fast your body metabolizes it. Because you can do damage to your mouth trying to eat when numb, we recommend waiting to eat until you have feeling in your mouth. Also, be sure to avoid eating chewing or hard foods in the first 24 hours following your bridge placement.
How can I manage my pain?
Before your anesthetic wears off completely, we recommend taking either 1-2 tablets of ibuprofen or Tylenol every 4-6 hours as needed. This will help manage your pain when the anesthetic wears off. Once the anesthetic wears off, you can continue this routine to manage your pain.
In addition to general tooth pain, you may also experience some tooth sensitivity to temperature, sweets, or biting. This is completely normal and will usually dissipate within a few days following your procedure. If it continues beyond a few days, you will want to call our office for further instruction.
Finally, your gums may also be sore or irritated following your tooth preparation procedure. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend a warm salt water rinse. A warm salt water rinse is composed of one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. You will want to swish this mixture around inside your mouth, over your gums, then spit.
How do I take care of my permanent crown?
To care for your permanent crown, you will need to brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes at a time, floss once daily, and have regular dental checkups and professional teeth cleanings every six months. These checkups are essential to identify possible problems with your restoration early on before they have a chance to escalate, requiring a restoration replacement. Additionally, you will need to take special care to floss around the bottom edge of the crown because this is a common area for tooth decay.