Dental crowns or capped teeth are a common part of modern Dental Care for patients of all ages. Crowns help patients preserve their teeth while removing painfully compromised portions of the tooth. It is a common misconception that capped teeth are indestructible. They are not. They need careful and regular maintenance, just like with regular teeth. Here are tips for caring for crowns from Trusteddentistry.com.
Avoid Hard Foods
Crowns can crack or break into pieces when they have to chew foods that are far too hard for them to handle. Stop eating very hard foods like hard candies, ice, peanut brittle and frozen caramel or toffee bars. This can be a hard habit to break but has to be done in order to preserve your new crowns. Tell your friends and family to remind you not to eat hard foods or crunch on ice cubes. Do not eat at all on the side of the mouth with the crown for 24 hours after receiving a new crown.
Keep On Brushing and Flossing
Crowned teeth can get cavities just like real teeth. Brush dental crowns just like regular teeth at least twice a day. Also floss regularly for the best Dental Care. Flossing eliminates the bits of food that cause plaque or bacterial build-up that cause bad breath and cavities. See a dentist every six months to check on the crowns. They will usually need a professional cleaning during these check-ups.
What If A Dental Crown Cracks?
If a crown cracks or breaks, try to get the piece and place in a plastic sandwich baggie to bring to the dentist. Sometimes the piece can be reattached. If the break is bad, then a new crown may need to be applied to replace the broken one. If the nerve or root is exposed, consider this an emergency and contact a dentist immediately. Many people crack a crown and do not feel pain. Seeing a dentist as soon as possible is necessary to prevent cavities or further breaking up of the crown. Many people may need to take over the counter painkillers if toothaches develop from the cracked dental crown. You can follow them on Twitter.