Fitting crowns in

Have you had a crown fitted by your dentist? Hans Lock explains the importance of recall appointments to maintain your crown.You have just had one or more crowns or fixed bridges onto your teeth. They will replace your missing tooth structure or missing teeth very well, and they should provide you with years of service, if you will observe the following suggestions:

• Chewing: Do not chew hard foods on the restorations for 24 hours from the time they were cemented. The cement must mature for up to 24 hours to have optimum strength.
• Sensitivity: Don't worry about mild sensitivity to hot or to cold foods. It will disappear gradually over a few weeks. Infrequently, sensitivity lasts longer than six weeks. Please tell us if this occurs.
• Aggressive chewing: Do not chew ice or other hard objects. Avoid chewing very sticky foods such as “hard tack” candies and caramels because they can remove restorations.
• Preventive Procedures: To provide optimum longevity for your restorations and prevent future dental decay and supporting tissue breakdown, please use the following preventive procedures that are checked:
  1. Brush with circular movements and floss your teeth after eating and before bedtime.
  2. Floss vigorously for at least 30 seconds daily with one of the following fluoride rinse products: Colgate Fluorigard or Johnson&Johnson Act. The best time is immediately before bedtime.
  3. Use a mechanical toothbrush only as a supplement to a manual toothbrush.

Visit us for regular six months examinations. Often, small problems that are developing around the restorations can be found at an early stage and corrected easily, but waiting for a longer time may require redoing the entire restoration. Inadequate return for professional examinations is the most significant reason for restoration failure. We will contact you when it is time for your recall appointment. If that does not occur, please call us.If any of the following conditions occur, please contact us immediately to avoid further problems:

• Movement or looseness in the restoration.
• Sensitivity to sweet foods.
• A peculiar taste from the restoration site.
• Breakage of a piece of material from the restoration.
• Sensitivity to pressure.

We have done our best to provide you with the finest quality of oral restoration available today. However, only your continuing excellent oral hygiene and professional recalls can ensure optimum service longevity.Please do not hesitate to call or email us on 020 7580 1001 if you have any questions. Thank you for your cooperation.

• View all articles
• View all articles