Temporaries: FAQ's
What is a Temporary Crown?
A temporary is an interim crown. It is a custom made acrylic tooth that is made the day your tooth is prepared for a final crown. It is designed to protect your tooth from the oral environment and keep your tooth in place until your permanent crown is ready for you.
What does a Temporary Look Like?
Temporaries are made of acrylic and look just like teeth. Many of our patients remark "Why do I need a permanent crown when the temporary feels so good" or "I never knew it was there".
How do I Care for My Temporary while my Crown is being Made?
The safest thing is to avoid chewing in the area of the temporary crown. Since most people tend to forget this the next best thing is to watch what you eat. Anything sticky can pull off your temporary. The usual things like taffy, peanut butter, candy and anything gooey. The less obvious things are bagels and any type of bread or cracker will do the same. Nothing too hard. The temporary is acrylic and can break. Similar to artificial nails they are very strong, but to a point. Please brush normally. We encourage you to floss. But when you do please pull the floss out from the side after flossing and avoid a lot of upward movement with the floss while flossing as it will dislodge the temporary.
My temporary is loose or comes off what do I do?
Most times the temporary crown will fit right back on the tooth. One of the most important things is that it is sealed well and does not come back off. Please call our Plano dental office and we will see you and recement the temporary. Until then, try and place the temporary back on the tooth. You may want to put a very small amount of Vaseline around the edges of the temporary prior to reseating it on your tooth. Avoid chewing in the area until we recement the temporary crown.
Could I Swallow my Temporary?
This is very unlikely. To avoid this please let us know if it ever loosens. Your mouth is a very sensitive area and usually senses when something is not right. Most people know if a temporary has come loose and they place it back on the tooth or call and get right in to have us recement it. If the unlikely happens and you somehow swallow the temporary tooth, it will pass uneventfully.
Could I break my Temporary?
Also rare. It can happen if you eat something too hard. Softer foods are encouraged until the final crown is placed. If you break your temporary please let our office know right away.