4 Tips For Taking Care Of Your Temporary Dental Crowns At Home

23 February 2017
 Categories: Dentist, Articles

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After having several dental procedures to prepare your mouth, your dentist may have given you temporary dental crowns until you're ready for the permanent ones. If so, use one or more of the tips below to take care of them at home.

Use A Soft Toothbrush To Clean Your Teeth

If you usually use a toothbrush with moderate to firm bristles, change over to a soft-bristled one. Since temporary crowns are softer than your tooth enamel or permanent crowns, they may scratch easier. If you use a toothbrush that is too hard, it could wear them down before you have your new crowns placed.

If you don't feel a soft brush can clean your teeth as effectively, try mixing a quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of water. Then, dip the toothbrush in the mixture and lightly brush your teeth. The baking soda can lightly scrub the surface of your crowns without damaging them.

Clean Between Your Teeth With Waxed Dental Floss

As part of your care instructions and normal hygiene routine, flossing helps clean away food particles between your teeth and crowns. This should be done after every meal and before bedtime.

However, if you currently use unwaxed dental floss, you may want to switch to one that has a waxy coating. Waxy dental floss glides between the crowns without snagging. 

Since the surface of temporary crowns can be slightly rougher than your teeth, the strands of unwaxed floss could catch on them. This could make you accidentally pull the crown and dislodge it, which would necessitate a visit to your dentist to have it replaced.

Rinse Your Mouth With Peppermint Oil And Salt Water

A couple of times a day, you may want to add a homemade mouthwash to your oral hygiene regimen to thoroughly clean your crowns, teeth, and gums. This mouthwash is made using peppermint oil, salt, and water.

The salt in this mixture kills bacteria and helps remove built-up tartar and food particles on the surface of your crowns. The peppermint oil acts as an antiseptic that kills germs not only between your crowns but also around the edges. It also helps improve the taste of the mouthwash, especially if you find the taste of salt unpleasant.

To make the mouthwash, mix together a quarter of a cup of warm water and a tablespoon of salt. Mix thoroughly for about a minute to dissolve some of the salt crystals. Then, add four drops of peppermint oil. Rinse your mouth with the mixture for about a minute, swishing it between your teeth.

Avoid Hard Or Chewy Foods

While you have your temporary crowns in place, avoid hard foods like candy or thick chips. The material from which the temporary crowns are made is soft and porous, and it could break from the increase in pressure needed to bite down on hard foods.

Likewise, you should also avoid chewy, sticky foods and treats like caramels and bubble gum. Since your temporary crowns are not permanently attached to your teeth, eating these types of foods could pull them off.

You should also use caution when eating things like pizza crust. While you may not need to avoid it, you should cut it up into smaller pieces so you do not have to bite into it and pull, which could also dislodge your crowns.

Using the above tips can help you keep your temporary dental crowns clean and intact until you receive your permanent ones. However, if you need more information or have any concerns, you may want to contact your dentist to discuss your unique situation and answer your questions. Click here to read more.