Can I Eat Chips with A Temporary Crown?
What Is a Crown in Dentistry?
It is an oral appliance that repairs, rebuilds, and restores damaged teeth’ enamel. It mimics a natural tooth in shape and color, covering and encapsulating the target tooth as a dental cap. The primary material for creating tooth crowns in modern dentistry is porcelain. Porcelain crowns are ideal for repairing any type of structural damage on a tooth. However, the process requires two separate dental visits to complete the procedure.
What Is a Temporary Crown?
It is a dental crown that Phoenix dentists install on a prepared tooth, protecting it for a short period before the permanent crown is ready. The procedure of getting porcelain crowns entails shaving or trimming the tooth enamel. The dentist will remove as much of your tooth enamel as is damaged while creating room for a tooth crown. After preparation, the dentist near you takes impressions of the tooth to develop your permanent crown. The crown is typically created in a dental laboratory. The process takes about two weeks to complete. In the meantime, you need an interim crown to protect your prepared tooth and prevent infection.
Ideally, you should have the temporary dental cap for about two weeks. If your dentist does not contact you for your permanent crown after this period, reach out to our dental offices at ESP Dental for instant intervention.
Can You Eat a Hamburger with A Temporary Crown?
There is nothing wrong with craving a hamburger soon after your procedure. However, you must be careful about what you eat, as it can dislodge your temporary dental cap and cause various oral complications. If you are adamant about eating a hamburger, wait for at least 30 minutes or an hour post-procedure before eating. This period allows the interim crown to stay in place without falling off. Besides that, choose a hamburger that will not over-exert your tooth. Find a way around the steak or tough meat in burgers.
What Can You Not Eat with A Temporary Crown?
The restrictions on food choices when you have a temporary dental cap are necessary for protecting your remaining natural tooth structure. Your dentist will give you a rough guideline to help you determine the best foods to eat before your permanent crown is ready for installation. Some of the foods you must avoid, include the following:
- Chewy or sticky foods like taffy, caramel, or chewing gum can dislodge the dental cap.
- Hard foods like ice, candy, seeds, nuts, granola, or popcorn kernels can crack or break the temporary tooth cap.
- Tough-to-chew foods like steak and raw vegetables.
- Extremely cold or hot foods can cause sensitivity to your treated tooth.
Watching what you eat when you have a temporary dental cap is the best way to ensure you prepare for your next dental appointment for a permanent crown.
Tips for Preserving Your Permanent Crown
All dentists emphasize that you must treat your tooth crown like the rest of your natural teeth. Therefore, the measure you accord your natural teeth should be the same, if not more, for your permanent crown. Besides, the better you care for your dental caps, the longer they will last you without the need for retreatment. Some tips that can help you maintain your permanent crowns are:
- Keep your mouth clean – never compromise on our dental hygiene routines. You should be flossing every day and brushing your teeth at least twice daily, if not after every meal.
- Be gentle with your teeth – taking care of your oral health does not mean being aggressive and abrasive. Choose good products that will not be too harsh on your teeth. Further, consider managing the force you exert on your teeth when brushing and flossing.
- Visit your dentist regularly – routine dental exams and cleanings are ideally the best dental measures to sustain good oral health long-term. Besides, you will not be visiting your dentist every day. The routine visits should be about six months apart.
- Avoid dark-colored foods and drinks – the last thing you want is to stain your teeth and permanent crown. Even though porcelain resists stains, it can catch stains on the edges. Besides, your natural teeth are not stain-resistant.