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If you have dental crowns, you need to be careful during the holiday season; this time of year is filled with hard and sticky treats that can damage your restoration or even pull it off your tooth. Of course, if you do end up losing a crown, it’s important not to panic. You’ll need to act quickly and get in touch with your dentist as soon as possible in order to protect your tooth. Read on to learn more about dental crowns and what to do if they become loose or fall out entirely during the celebrations.
What is the Purpose of a Crown?
Dental crowns are a common advanced restoration that can be used to restore the strength, shape, size, and overall appearance of your tooth. They might be used to repair teeth that were broken in an accident or have severely decayed so that you can continue to eat and speak with them normally. In some cases, a crown might be placed for cosmetic reasons, such as to hide a discolored or misshapen tooth. Also, implants might use dental crowns to function properly.
What Should You Do If You Lose a Crown During the Holidays?
You could lose a crown anytime, whether it’s at home or at a holiday party. Since crowns often serve to protect teeth that have already been damaged or weakened, you should treat losing one as a dental emergency; arrange to see your dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, follow these steps to prevent the situation from getting worse:
- First, if the crown has come away from the tooth, take it out of your mouth so that you don’t accidentally swallow or inhale it. Bring the crown with you to your appointment if possible.
- Sometimes you might be able to put the crown back on the tooth with dental cement. If not, try protecting the tooth with dental wax. Keep in mind that over the counter dental cement and wax are only temporary measures.
- Since the exposed tooth could be sensitive, avoid hot or cold drinks as well as sweet or chewy foods.
- If you’re experiencing any discomfort, take some over-the-counter pain medication.
How Can You Protect a Crown?
It’s better to avoid losing a crown altogether if you can help it. Protect your crown by not biting down on hard foods or inedible objects that could crack it. Also, beware of caramel and other seasonal treats that might pull on the restoration. And of course, basic oral hygiene is a must, since even with a crown your teeth and gums can still become infected.
Your crown may still come off even if you make an honest effort to keep it safe. Fortunately, as long as you keep your emergency dentist’s number on hand and prepare for the worst at all times, your smile can be repaired in no time, and you can get back to the festivities.
Posted on behalf of Envision Dental
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