3 Habits That Can Damage Your New Dental Crowns
Posted on: 23 September 2018
If you have recently received new dental crowns, you may wonder if there is anything special that you need to do while you take care of them. However, knowing what not to do is also important. If you have any of the below habits, you risk damaging your new dental crowns.
1. Eating Chewy and Hard Foods
If you enjoy eating caramels and hard candies, you may have to give them up to protect your dental crowns. Or, you may have to make sure you eat them on the side of your mouth that is opposite your crowns.
When you eat chewy foods, you risk having them stick to the surface of your crowns and pulling them loose. Or, if you bite down on hard candies, the material from which the crowns are made could crack. Candies are not the only things you should avoid or take care when eating. Chewy foods like raisins or hard foods like pretzels can also have a detrimental effect on your crowns.
2. Biting on Anything That's Not a Food
Foods are not the only things you may be in the habit of biting that could damage your dental crowns. Biting your fingernails, using your teeth to open up a bottle, or chewing on a pencil are all bad habits that can crack or chip your crowns. If you are in the habit of biting on non-food items, try to break it by being mindful of what are you doing for a few weeks. Whenever you notice that you are biting your nails or a pencil, stop. It can be hard at first but taking the extra effort could help save you money from having to have your crowns replaced.
3. Flossing the Way You Were Taught as a Child
Even with crowns, flossing is beneficial for your overall oral health. However, if you floss your teeth the same way you were taught as a child, the upward motion of flossing could catch the floss on the edge of the crown, causing the crown to loosen or even pop off. Instead of using the up and down motion, push the floss between your teeth, then slide it out. This action removes the potential for pulling off the crown while still getting the spaces between your teeth clean.
Avoiding the above habits when you have dental crowns can help you keep them damage-free so that they will last longer. For more information on taking care of your dental crowns, speak with the dentist who put them on for you.
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