Can You Eat Normally After Getting a Dental Crown?
Installing porcelain crowns in Flagstaff is one of the most common procedures that our dentists at Flagstaff Smiles perform. Dental crowns are placed over natural teeth to address issues such as tooth decay or damage. While dental crowns can restore a lot of the strength and functionality to a damaged tooth, they can break or fall off if not properly looked after. To increase the lifespan of porcelain crowns near you and avoid needing to replace your porcelain crown prematurely, there are some dietary changes that you should be aware of.
Post-Operative Diet Changes
Immediately after you get a dental crown, you will be given a temporary dental crown to wear while your permanent crown is manufactured. Temporary crowns are easier to dislodge than permanent dental crowns, so you must be careful to avoid foods that can damage the restoration. This includes hard or sticky foods such as caramels or gum.
Preventing Tooth Sensitivity
Some patients may notice some tooth sensitivity around the area where their temporary crown was placed. For this reason, our dentist in Flagstaff recommends that patients stick to a soft food diet until their crown feels more comfortable. This means avoiding hard and chewy foods such as bread or steak. Additionally, you should avoid very hot or cold substances until your permanent dental crown is placed.
Looking After Your Permanent Dental Crowns
Permanent dental crowns are more resilient to damage than temporary dental crowns, but you should still be mindful of avoiding food that could cause your crown to crack or fall out entirely. When eating hard or sticky foods, try to chew away from the dental crown. If possible, avoid hard vegetables by cooking them for meals.
Preventing Stains
When our dentist in Flagstaff manufactures your custom dental crown, they use a porcelain material designed to look as much like your natural tooth as possible so that it blends in seamlessly with the rest of your smile. Porcelain is stain-resistant but cannot be whitened after the procedure. To ensure that your smile stays as even as possible, you should avoid dark-colored beverages or use a straw when drinking them since this can cause your surrounding natural teeth to become darker than your dental crown.
The Bottom Line
Making a couple of small adjustments to your diet after getting a dental crown can greatly reduce the wear and tear on your dental crown. As well as making the diet changes described above, it would be best if you also were mindful of habits such as clenching and grinding, using your teeth as tools to open packages, and biting your nails.
It is essential that you continue to maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine of brushing twice a day for at least two minutes using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day. Pay extra attention to brushing around your dental crown to keep the site clean and free from harmful bacteria and infection. Furthermore, you must continue to schedule regular professional dental cleanings and checkups at Flagstaff Smiles l at least once every six months so that our dentist can remove any lingering plaque and ensure that your oral health and dental crown remain in excellent shape. Please do not hesitate to contact our clinic and book a consultation today!