Temporaries: FAQ's
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 dentist office and we will see you and recement 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 recement 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
crownis placed. If you break your temporary please let our office know right away.