After your crown preparation
You are wearing a temporary crown while your final crown is being made. These instructions cover how to protect it, what to expect, what to avoid, and what to do if something feels wrong before your next appointment.
The temporary crown protects the prepared tooth while your final crown is being fabricated. It is cemented with temporary cement intentionally — it needs to come off cleanly at your next appointment.
Because temporary cement is weaker than final cement, the temporary crown is more vulnerable to dislodging than a permanent crown. Most patients wear it without any issues, but being careful with certain foods and habits significantly reduces the chance of it coming off.
Mild sensitivity under the temporary crown is normal. The tooth was prepared (reduced) to create space for the crown, and the nerve can remain mildly reactive for days to weeks after that process. This should gradually improve, not worsen.
Avoid eating until the numbness from today's procedure has completely worn off. Biting with numb lips and cheeks makes it easy to accidentally bite soft tissue.
- Sticky or chewy foods: caramel, taffy, gummy candy, chewing gum
- Hard foods on that side: hard candy, ice, crusty bread, raw carrots
- Foods that require tearing with front teeth if your crown is on a front tooth
- Very hot or very cold foods and drinks (sensitivity is likely)
- Foods that require significant chewing on the crown side
- Chewing on both sides evenly where possible, keeping load off the temporary
Keep the area clean. Plaque accumulation at the gum margin around the temporary crown affects how the gum tissue looks and responds, which matters for how well the final crown seats and how it looks long term.
- Sensitivity to cold, heat, or sweets for the first days to weeks
- Mild soreness in the gum tissue around the crown margin for the first few days
- A slightly different feel to your bite until the numbness fully wears off
- The temporary crown looking slightly different from your natural tooth in color and shape — it is temporary
- A very slight roughness at the edges of the temporary crown
Sensitivity should be gradually improving, not escalating. If it is getting worse after the first week, call us.
Call us right away. A prepared tooth without its temporary crown is sensitive and exposed, and the gum tissue can begin to shift in ways that affect the final crown fit if the space is left unprotected.
If it comes off after hours or on a weekend:
- Rinse the temporary crown and the tooth gently
- You can find temporary dental cement at most pharmacies (Dentemp, Fixodent, or similar) to hold it in place temporarily
- Clean the inside of the temporary crown, apply a small amount of cement, and seat it gently
- Bite down gently to seat it and wipe off any excess
- Call us first thing when we are open — this is a same-day priority
Do not leave the prepared tooth uncovered for more than a day or two.
- Temporary crown came off
- Bite feels clearly high after numbness has worn off
- Sensitivity is getting worse after the first week, not better
- Gum tissue around the crown is swollen, bleeding with no improvement, or tender after more than a few days
- Sharp pain when biting on that tooth
- Spontaneous pain — aching or throbbing that happens without biting or temperature, especially at night
- Swelling around the tooth or in the gum tissue that is growing
- Bad taste or drainage near the tooth
Your final crown is being fabricated at the dental lab from the impressions or digital scan we took today. The process typically takes two to three weeks.
At your final appointment, the temporary crown is removed, the prepared tooth is cleaned, the fit and color of the final crown are verified, and the crown is cemented permanently.
It is important to keep this appointment. The longer a temporary crown is in place, the more the gum tissue can migrate and the more difficult it becomes to achieve a clean, predictable seal with the final crown.