What To Know About Dental Crown Protection

There may come a time where you need to have dental services that require a crown. These procedures can range from a root canal to a dental bridge, since a crown is required to cover a tooth to give it strength and stability. However, dental crowns can break if you do not pay attention to what you are chewing or how you care for the crown. Here is what you need to know about protecting your new dental crown.

Avoid Foods That Are Sticky

Dental crowns are attached to your teeth by using dental cement. However, dental cement is not a permanent solution to secure the crown to the tooth. It can take on the force of chewing everyday foods, but you need to be aware of items that can pull on the crown and lift it off of the tooth. For example, you may be chewing something that is incredibly sticky and pulling on the crown when you open up your mouth. This includes candy that sticks to your teeth.

If the crown does come detached from a tooth, you'll need to have your dental crown put back on and secured in place with dental cement. The dentist will make sure that the area is clean first to prevent bacteria from being trapped underneath the crown.

Avoid Foods That Are Hard

Anything that is very hard to chew through can cause your dental crown to fracture from the pressure. This can happen either by accident or on purpose. For instance, many people like to chew on the ice cubes in their drink, but this puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on teeth. Other people bite their nails, which can be tough on a crown located on any of the teeth used to do it. You may even accidentally chew on a popcorn kernel as you are mindlessly eating popcorn during a movie.

Use A Mouthguard

If you have a habit of grinding your teeth at night, using a mouthguard will provide protection that will prevent your dental crown from becoming damaged. A mouthguard can also protect your dental crown if you are playing sports such as football or soccer because it prevents the sudden motion of clamping down on your teeth that can accompany high-impact activities.

Visit a dentist as soon as you have a problem with your dental crown. Even if it fractures, it is possible to use dental cement to put it back together.

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