After crown preparation

The temporary crown is made from acrylic and cemented with a weak, temporary cement. This is intentional — it needs to come off easily at your next appointment so the final crown can be placed. Because of this, it does not fit or feel exactly like your natural tooth or the final crown, and that is expected.

The temporary is protecting the shaped tooth underneath from temperature, pressure, and the shifting that would otherwise happen if the tooth were left exposed. Treat it with care, but do not be concerned if it does not feel identical to your other teeth.

Wait until the numbness from the local anesthetic has fully worn off before eating — typically two to four hours. Eating while numb makes it easy to accidentally bite your cheek, lip, or tongue without realizing it.

Once the numbness is gone, a few foods are worth avoiding for the duration of time you have the temporary:

• Sticky or chewy foods: Caramel, gummy candy, taffy, and similar foods can pull the temporary crown off when you chew.
• Very hard foods: Nuts, hard candy, ice, and crusty bread can dislodge or crack the temporary.
• Chewing on the same side: Favor the opposite side when possible, especially in the first few days.

Continue brushing normally around the temporary crown. The tooth and gum around it still need cleaning, and skipping the area lets plaque accumulate on tissue that is already slightly irritated from the procedure.

Flossing: use floss but slide it out sideways rather than pulling straight up through the contact. Pulling up can catch the edge of the temporary and lift it off. Gently thread the floss down and then pull it out toward one side.

Avoid using a WaterPik or water flosser on high pressure directly over the temporary, as the force can loosen the cement.

The following are expected after crown preparation and do not indicate a problem:

• Sensitivity to cold, heat, and sweets that was not present before. The tooth was shaped significantly and the nerve can be temporarily reactive. This often improves over the two to three weeks before your final crown.
• Soreness in the gum tissue around the tooth. The gum was retracted during the procedure and may be tender for several days.
• Mild discomfort when biting, especially in the first day or two. If the bite feels high — if the temporary hits before your other teeth — call us so we can adjust it. An unadjusted high bite causes sustained soreness.

Call us to schedule reseating as soon as possible. Do not leave the prepared tooth uncovered for more than a day — the tooth can shift slightly, and if it moves enough, the final crown may no longer fit precisely when it arrives.

While you wait for your appointment, you can reseat the temporary yourself using Dentemp, a temporary dental cement available at most pharmacies. Dry the inside of the temporary crown and the tooth surface as much as possible, place a small amount of cement inside the crown, and seat it firmly. Bite down gently to ensure it is fully seated and wipe away excess cement. This is a temporary measure, not a permanent fix — you still need to come in to have it properly reseated.

Call the same day if: Your temporary crown has come off. The bite feels significantly high and is causing sustained pain.

Call within a day or two if: Sensitivity is severe or worsening rather than slowly improving. You have throbbing or spontaneous pain not triggered by temperature or pressure. The gum around the tooth is increasingly swollen or painful after the first two days. There is a persistent bad taste from the area.

Your permanent crown is being made in a dental laboratory from the impressions or digital scan taken at your preparation appointment. This typically takes two to three weeks. We will contact you when it arrives to schedule your seat appointment.

At the seat appointment, the temporary is removed, the permanent crown is tried in to verify fit and appearance, adjustments are made if needed, and it is cemented permanently. The seat appointment is usually shorter than the preparation appointment.