Taking Care Of Your New Dental Crown

23 / 08 / 2018

Taking Care Of Your New Dental Crown

Porcelain Crown Maintenance Discussed By Dental Surgeon, Dr Anthony Griffin.

Porcelain crowns are used regularly in a number of situations within dentistry. The best known of these is probably for the restoration of a badly damaged tooth, but they are also used in other situations, namely the final part of dental implant placement and completing a root canal restoration. Crowns are a very effective and versatile treatment, but it is also important that our Ipswich patients know how to take care of them correctly, once fitted.

Why you need to clean crowns

It is true that the porcelain or ceramic material of the crown is not susceptible to decay, but this does not mean you shouldn’t bother to clean them. The crown itself may not be affected if you don’t, but you should remember that it is being held in place by being secured to your natural tooth which could still decay or become weakened and damaged if you don’t clean properly. If the natural tooth suffers damage in this way, it will weaken the hold on the crown, and may cause it to become detached.

While dental implants are somewhat different, the crowns used for this purpose still need to be cleaned thoroughly, and especially around the gum line and between the teeth. If you fail to do so, there is a likelihood that your gums will become infected, with gingivitis and periodontitis being a real possibility.

Discomfort and a threat to your teeth

Gum disease symptoms can range from a mild soreness, to serious damage being done to the supportive tissues of the teeth. At the very least, it can be uncomfortable and sore and red gums are likely, as is bleeding when you brush your teeth. More importantly, if your gum disease is not reversed, it can spread from the gum tissue to the bone surrounding your tooth root. If this becomes infected, bone loss is likely. This will eventually cause the tooth to become loose, and, if this becomes too extensive, you may well lose the tooth altogether.

How to clean your crowned tooth

Cleaning a dental crown is straightforward in that you simply need to brush it as you would a natural tooth. You should already be using dental floss, on a daily basis, to keep the areas between your teeth clean and free from food debris and bacteria. If you don’t, we strongly recommend introducing it as soon as possible. We also recommend that you have your teeth professionally cleaned by the hygienist team at the Lighthouse Dental Practice at least every six months. By following these simple rules, you should find that your new crown lasts for you for ten years or more.

A final word of warning

Thankfully, something that we don’t see very often at our Ipswich practice, but something that nearly all dentists will see from time to time. Dental crowns are strong and secure, but very occasionally, they may become detached. This is more likely after several years of use as the adhesive weakens. If this happens to you, please do not attempt to reattach it yourself using a household adhesive.

Aside from any other issues this might cause, many household adhesives contain corrosive ingredients which may damage both the crown and your natural tooth. If this happens to you, simply call us on 01473 257 379 so that we can assess and reattach it safely.

We are here to help you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.