What To Expect From A New Crown:

Covering a tooth with a crown may be necessary for a number of reasons. It may be needed because decay or old, failing fillings have left the tooth weakened and unable to withstand normal biting pressures. It may also be because the tooth has cracked from grinding or clenching and is in danger of splitting. Covering the tooth with a crown reinforces and protects it. Please remember that, if we are doing a crown for you, we are starting with a tooth that is not healthy, even if you are not experiencing any symptoms.

After Filing The Tooth For The Crown:

Even though we do our best to make the filing as atraumatic as possible with water cooling and intermittent pressure from the drill., it is not uncommon to have a little sensitivity in the days following your appointment. We routinely apply a special desensitizing solution to the tooth to eliminate or minimize sensitivity. If we have caught the problem in time and the tooth is healthy, this sensitivity should be no more severe than a couple of over-the-counter pain-killers (Tylenol, Aleve, etc.) should keep under control. In a healthy tooth, this sensitivity, if present at all, will gradually disappear over the next few days or weeks. There is, however, always the possibility that the tooth is not resilient enough to recover and that the nerve is deteriorating. Unfortunately, we cannot look inside a tooth to gauge the relative health of the nerve tissue. If you experience more than a moderate degree of discomfort, or if the sensitivity does not diminish, please call our office as it may be necessary for a root canal specialist to test the tooth.

After Cementation Of The Crown:

The permanent crown often feels different from the temporary one you have been wearing. Unlike the plastic temporary which is relatively soft and resilient, the materials used for permanent crowns, (gold, porcelain, etc.) are much harder. We routinely check and adjust the bite when the crown in cemented, but if you have been given any local anesthetic to numb the tooth, you may notice a different feeling to your bite when the numbing wears away. This is not necessarily bad, just different. In most instances, you will accommodate and adjust to this very quickly. Materials such as porcelain are hard and somewhat brittle, and may break rather than wear down. Therefore, if after a day or two the bite feels awkward or too high, please call the office immediately and we will be happy to schedule a brief visit to carry out any necessary adjustments.

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