Questions You Should Ask About An Upcoming Crown Procedure

Posted on: 7 October 2016

If you have accidentally cracked your tooth, your dentist may refer you to a good oral surgeon who can put a crown on the tooth to protect it. It's important to ask the surgeon about what you can expect, such as the following.

Is Waiting an Option?

If you have a busy workweek coming up or don't have an immediate free moment in your schedule, you might hope to push back the procedure as long as you can. However, it's important for you to be aware that you run the risk of ruining the tooth, as it might split even further. Not only that, but as the crack in your tooth becomes deeper, the pulp of your tooth can become exposed. If that happens, you'll no longer need a crown; a root canal might become a necessity. Your surgeon should be able to talk to you about how deep the crack is and how immediately you may need the procedure. 

Can You Get a PFM Crown?

Did you crack a front tooth? In that case, the surgeon is likely to recommend a ceramic crown, which will act and look the most like a real tooth. However, ceramic can be more costly than the alternative, a PFM crown, which has porcelain on the surface and a ceramic interior. For a lot of teeth that aren't immediately visible when you speak, such as back molars, a PFM will work fine. Just be aware that the top porcelain layer will wear down as the years go by, so you might ultimately want a replacement.

What Should You Do if Your Teeth Feel Sensitive Afterward?

After the crown is put on your tooth, it may concern you if your tooth is much more sensitive than it was before. There isn't a reason to become alarmed; some degree of sensitivity to very hot or cool foods happens to many people. Ask your dental surgeon what measures you can take to help your tooth feel better. They might recommend special toothpaste or mouthwashes to alleviate the sensitivity you feel, but they may also discourage use of certain products due to how they could interact with the crown materials.

How Long Will You Have to Avoid Certain Foods?

Just as you would after many dental procedures, you might want to stay away from different sticky or hard foods for a few days after the crown has been put in. However, you might want to inquire whether you will always have to avoid bubble gum and similar foods that could cause the crown to shift or lift.

The more information you have about the upcoming crown procedure, the better you can deal with the entire process. For more information, contact local professionals like Sunshine Dentistry.

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About Marcel and the Dentist

Hi, my name is Marcel. Welcome to my site! I started it to help others learn about children's dentistry. Most of us don't remember dentist trips from our early childhood. Maybe we didn't even really care about our teeth until we started losing baby teeth. In my case, I became interested in children's dentistry as a young father. When my kids were young, I was a student, and our insurance did not cover visits to the dentist. Although my wife and I tried to teach our kids good hygiene on our own, it was difficult. When we we finally able to take them to the dentist, my little girls were scared and didn't know what was going on. Luckily, they appreciate the dentist now that they are older, but their first experiences helped teach me more about the importance of children's dentistry. Hopefully you can learn from my experiences!