Crowns and Bridges Need Regular Care

Crowned teeth, just like your natural teeth, need to be cleaned daily. Care must be taken to brush and floss those areas where the crown meets the tooth. Special floss threaders may be used to clean under bridges.

If there is hot or cold sensitivity, it should decrease with time. If the bite feels uncomfortable please call the office. As with most things in life, nothing is forever, but with good home care and normal use your crown or bridge should last for years.

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Crown & Bridge Pre-Treatment Information

Crowns can be either gold or a porcelain/gold combination. If it is gold, it will be yellow gold in colour. If porcelain, it may be strengthened with white gold (platinum in colour) on the chewing surface and at the gumline. These options can be discussed with Dr. Lunn prior to your appointment.

Your initial appointment will be about two hours, during which your mouth will be frozen. Preparations will be done on the tooth and impressions will be taken. At the end of the first appointment, a provisional crown will be temporarily cemented onto the tooth until the crown is ready, about two weeks later. Don't be too concerned about the fit of the temporary - it only roughly approximates the fit and feel of the final crown.

The final appointment to cement the new crown into place takes about 30 minutes, during which your mouth may again be frozen. You may experience some sensitivity to hot and cold for a while after the procedure. Use pain-killers if required. If the bite doesn't feel comfortable or the pain persists, please call our office at 604-738-7710..

Financial arrangements are to be made in advance with the receptionist. We look forward to assisting you with your dental needs.

After The Tooth Has Been Prepared...

While we are careful to minimize the amount of discomfort you might experience after your initial treatment, there are measures you can take after you leave the office:

  1. Use a warm saltwater rinse frequently for 2-3 days after the procedure. (1 tablespoon of salt in half a glass of warm water).
  2. Take a pain-killer - one you might use for a headache - before the freezing wears off completely. Take one more before bedtime. Continue every six hours as needed.
  3. Keep the area free of bacteria be carefully brushing and flossing. Pull floss out sideways to avoid dislodging the temporary crown.
  4. Avoid extremes of hot or cold temperature on the side treated.
  5. Avoid chewy or sticky food on the temporary crown.
  6. Should the temporary come off, put it back on tooth, if possible, and call our office to have it re-cemented.

© Dr. Garry Lunn

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