You may have heard the expression “I had my tooth crowned” or “The dentist is going to put a crown on my tooth.” Just as it sounds, a crown is a restoration that goes on top of your existing tooth. The purpose of a crown is to rebuild and strengthen the tooth. To know if a crown is required on a tooth it usually falls into six categories: A tooth that cannot be filled again, a weak tooth, a tooth that is excessively decayed or cracked, bite correction (occlusal changes) and teeth that can be straightened.

Crowns are made from either porcelain or gold. Gold is stronger, but porcelain looks the best. Click here for After Care Instructions. For more information on other options for correction, such as dental implants, call us and schedule a free consultation.

How Long Will A Porcelain Veneer/Laminate Or Crowns Last?

This is a great question and it really depends upon the dentist, their practice, and their experience. The laws in Texas say it is unethical for a dentist to guarantee their work, but we can share what we have experienced here at the Forte Implant Center:

• • Some practices routinely replace crowns every five years. We don’t see that short of life span with the work we do here at the Forte Implant Center.
  • Porcelain always has the possibility of breaking if you hit or chew the wrong thing with your tooth. This is very rare in our office, with less than a 1% chance over 15 years.
  • Some patients choose gold for back teeth, since they will not break. So far, our doctors have never had to replace any gold crowns they have done.

Our doctors have never had to redo any of their porcelain veneers or crowns unless they have fractured from trauma. We anticipate better numbers every year, and the average life span of a crown is greater than 15 years in our practice. The longevity we see in our office exceeds the norm for most practices. While this is not a guarantee, we feel that our proven track record speaks volumes about what our clients can expect.

What is a Temporary Crown?

A temporary is an interim crown. It is a custom made acrylic tooth that is made the day your tooth is prepared for a final crown. It is designed to protect your tooth from the oral environment and keep your tooth in place until your permanent crown is ready for you.

What does a Temporary Look Like?

Temporaries are made of acrylic and look just like teeth. Many of our patients remark “Why do I need a permanent crown when the temporary feels so good” or “I never knew it was there”.

How do I Care for My Temporary while my Crown is being Made?

The safest thing is to avoid chewing in the area of the temporary crown. Since most people tend to forget this the next best thing is to watch what you eat. Anything sticky can pull off your temporary. The usual things like taffy, peanut butter, candy and anything gooey. The less obvious things are bagels and any type of bread or cracker will do the same. Nothing too hard. The temporary is acrylic and can break. Similar to artificial nails they are very strong, but to a point. Please brush normally. We encourage you to floss. But when you do please pull the floss out from the side after flossing and avoid a lot of upward movement with the floss while flossing as it will dislodge the temporary.

My temporary is loose or comes off what do I do?

Most times the temporary crown will fit right back on the tooth. One of the most important things is that it is sealed well and does not come back off. Please call our Plano dental office and we will see you and re-cement the temporary. Until then, try and place the temporary back on the tooth. You may want to put a very small amount of Vaseline around the edges of the temporary prior to reseating it on your tooth. Avoid chewing in the area until we re-cement the temporary crown.

Could I Swallow my Temporary?

This is very unlikely. To avoid this please let us know if it ever loosens. Your mouth is a very sensitive area and usually senses when something is not right. Most people know if a temporary has come loose and they place it back on the tooth or call and get right in to have us recement it. If the unlikely happens and you somehow swallow the temporary tooth, it will pass uneventfully.

Could I break my Temporary?

Also rare. It can happen if you eat something too hard. Softer foods are encouraged until the final crown is placed. If you break your temporary please let our office know right away.