Getting a dental crown is not as intimidating or scary as it used it be, in fact, most procedures can be done the same day with very little pain or discomfort. However, there are things that you should watch for once you leave our office. As long as you’re taking care of your teeth, there aren’t a lot of risks of dental crowns. You’ll want to remember to slow down and follow the recommended steps to take care of your new smile.
Here are four of the potential risks of dental crowns and how you can prevent them from happening to you:
Plaque and Decay
It’s really common for plaque to collect where your tooth meets your new crown. The crown itself is porcelain and won’t decay, but your tooth can if you don’t brush and floss mindfully. If decay is caught early, fluoride may be able to stop it before it gets worse. That’s why it is so important to see your dentist every six months. If decay is too intensive or gets underneath the crown, it may need to be taken off so the situation can be addressed.
It Becomes Detached
Another risk of dental crowns is the possibility that they can become detached from your tooth. This can happen once in a great while if you bite down into something hard or if you have an older crown that is ready to be replaced. If this happens, you need to come in and see us as soon as possible. Don’t try to reattach it yourself, as you can cause extensive damage to the tooth and/or the crown.
Pain or Discomfort
Pain or discomfort is probably the number one risk of dental crowns that people are most worried about. However, pain typically lasts a week at the most and can be managed with an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen. If you’re experiencing pain longer than this or the pain is intense, there could be an underlying cause. The crown may be putting pressure on a nerve that’s damaged, or the crown may be causing a misalignment in your mouth and pain is being triggered by a tooth grinding habit. Additionally, your gum tissue may be sore and/or irritated still from the procedure. If you have any questions about the amount of pain you’re feeling, feel free to give us a call.
A Chipped Crown
Since porcelain can be brittle (which you know if you’ve ever dropped a plate!) it can chip or fracture, although this is still pretty rare. If you bite into something hard, it’s much more likely that it will cause your crown to fall out than chip. The more likely scenario for a chip or break is some kind of fall or accident. If this does happen, we’ll need to either fill it with a composite filling material (if it’s a small chip) or we may need to re-do the crown (if it’s a large chip or fracture).
Chances are, you’ll be able to enjoy your new porcelain crown for a decade or more without any risk or problem. However, it helps to know what to watch out for and how to take care of your new crown so you don’t have to deal with any of these annoying issues.
At Sugar Fix Dental Loft, we are so proud to offer same-day crowns with our Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology. This means you can skip the slimy impressions and second visit. We know you have a busy schedule and we think our “one and done” approach to crowns is an amazing option for people who want their most beautiful smile ASAP.
The best part? It costs about the same! When you factor in the cost of your time, the lost income of taking off from work, etc. it’s actually less expensive for most of our patients. Give us a call at (773) 883-1818 for more info!