Caring for Your Same Day Crown
You’ve just gotten your very first CEREC dental crown. It saved you time, money (time is money, after all,) and you want it to last as long as possible.
When properly cared for, you should be able to get several years out of your new restoration. That being said, there are certain things that should be kept in mind so as to reduce your chance of damaging the ceramic or developing recurrent tooth decay around any new crown.
Keep the Margins Clean
A crown covers your entire tooth up to the gumline. But it doesn’t extend far down under the gums (it would damage your tissue if it did,) meaning that a very small margin is exposed around the entire cap.
Such margins tend to accumulate plaque buildup because of the extra ledge that it gives for biofilm to adhere to. Our Phoenix patients should be very careful about thoroughly cleaning these surfaces each day so that the plaque doesn’t cause weakened enamel or new areas of active decay.
Angle your soft-bristled toothbrush toward the gums at 45-degrees. Make short, back and forth strokes on just one or two teeth at a time, focusing on the gumlines. This modification ensures more thorough removal of sticky bacterial plaque.
Floss Around Your CEREC Crown Daily
Brushing will only clean areas on the inside and outside of the mouth, but not between teeth where they touch. As such, up to 40% of tooth surfaces go unreached. This makes flossing around your CEREC crown extremely important.
Many of the Phoenix dental patients we see are afraid that flossing will pull their crown off. Not so. The cement and bonding agents we use for your new crown will keep it securely in place. If a crown were to come off when flossing, it would mean that the bond was already compromised (and we would rather you have it fall out when you’re paying attention, instead of during a meal!)
Wrap the floss snuggly around your crown and slide it up and down against the side, extending just below the gumlines. Repeat this several times before moving to the adjacent tooth (take care not to pull the floss into the gums extending upward between your teeth.)
If your gums bleed or are sensitive, continue daily flossing and ask to schedule a gum disease evaluation if symptoms persist more than two weeks.
Consider Wearing a Nightguard
Chronic clenching and grinding (bruxism) does more than cause jaw pain and headaches, it can lead to irreversible tooth damage and fractures to your new crown. At Central Valley Dentistry we screen all patients for bruxism; if you’re exhibiting symptoms we will likely recommend wearing a bite splint or night guard to prevent any type of wear or chips to your enamel and ceramic work.
Schedule Routine Checkups
Book a checkup at Central Valley Dentistry in Phoenix every six months to make sure your same day crown is at it’s best. Dr. Behbahani will attentively monitor the integrity of your crown to help ensure it lasts as long as possible. Call us today!
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