Dental crowns are used to cover the fillings of a tooth after a root canal procedure or to protect a cracked or chipped tooth from further damage. However, once you get a dental crown, there are several things you need to avoid for the crown to last and also avoid dental health issues.
Chances are you have heard of dental crowns falling off. In most cases, dental crowns fall off due to poor maintenance by the patients. Additionally, dental crowns can harbor germs and bacteria that could lead to gum disease if a patient doesn't practice proper oral hygiene.
With that said, here are three things you need to avoid when you get dental crowns installed to ensure you don't encounter any issues.
Avoid Using Dental Crowns as a Tool
Many people have the habit of opening bottle caps with their teeth which is one of the reasons why their teeth get chipped or cracked to the point they require dental crowns. Unfortunately, even when they get dental crowns installed, they still use the crown to open bottle caps.
Though ceramic dental crowns are quite sturdy and will not chip when you open a bottle cap with them, it is essential to note that dental crowns are held in place by an adhesive. Unfortunately, when too much pressure gets exerted on the dental crown, the adhesive can loosen, resulting in the dental crown becoming loose or falling off.
Hence, to ensure your dental crown(s) last for a long time, avoid using them as a tool. Besides, regularly replacing or re-installing dental crowns after they fall off can become expensive in the wrong run.
Neglecting Receding Gums
When a dental crown gets installed, it usually covers the tooth's entire surface up to the gums. Additionally, your gums also cover the dental crown after some time. Hence the chances of the underlying tooth acquiring a cavity or infection are minimal.
However, if you acquire periodontal/gum disease, your gums will start receding, which results in a gap between your dental crown and the gums. Unfortunately, such a gap is notorious for harboring germs and bacteria that could affect the underlying tooth and result in decay, cavities, inflammation, or an infection.
Common ways to detect the above issue include:
Therefore, in addition to maintaining proper oral hygiene, you should also be on the lookout for signs of receding gums around the dental crown to avoid getting cavities or an infection.
Not Wearing a Mouth Guard During Sports
Mouth guards are oral devices used to protect a person's teeth from blunt force trauma resulting from balls, bats, sticks, or even falling. However, as mentioned earlier, a dental crown gets attached to a tooth using adhesive.
Therefore, if the dental crown gets struck during a sporting event, it can easily fall off. And considering that the adhesive used to attach the dental crown to a tooth is very strong, chances are the underlying tooth will get damaged when the dental crown falls off due to impact.
Therefore, if you are going to participate in any sport, do not forget to wear a mouth guard
For more information on how to protect dental crowns, contact a professional near you.
Share19 January 2022
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