Temporary crowns also known as provisional crown or interim crown are short term crowns used to protect the tooth. Temporary crowns can be fabricated from acrylic material or in some cases aluminum pre-fabricated crowns. At Smiles on Bristol Dentistry Dr. Danial Kalantari usually fabricates acrylic crowns because they look much nicer than the aluminum. These crowns are used to help protect the tooth, stop the tooth from shifting, aesthetic, and shape the gum tissue properly.  Temporary crowns are cemented with a temporary cement for easy removal. The temporary cement is strong enough to hold for a couple of weeks.

There is some stuff you have to avoid when you have a temporary crown. You have to avoid hard or chewy food; this can affect the temporary crown. Biting into something hard can cause pressure on the crown causing it to break or fracture. Try not to eat on the side of the temporary crown, you can chew with the opposite side of the temporary crown. When flossing carefully pull the floss through not lifting the floss out. Lifting the floss out can cause the temporary crown to fall.

What happens if your temporary crown comes off? Your tooth can shift to a different position, or if you’re in the process of a dental crown the gum can grow over the crown preparation. This causes the permanent crown to not fit properly making your appointment longer because the dentist has to adjust the crown to fit properly. It is very important to get the temporary crown cemented as soon as possible to avoid any complication.

Some complications you can face while you have a temporary crown can be sensitivity to cold or hot, redness or swelling around the gum of the crown. These issues are very common when you have a temporary crown. The sensitivity should reduce once a permanent crown is placed. The swelling and redness will also minimize in a couple days after the preparation of the crown. If these issues do not get better with time, make sure you contact your dentist.

Permanent crowns and temporary work similar, permanent crown just last longer than a temporary crown. Permanent crowns can last up to 5 to 15 years depending on how it’s taken care of. Temporary crowns can last a few weeks possibly months. If you have any question regarding crowns you can always contact your friendly staff of Smiles on Bristol Dentistry./contact-us/