Dentures and Dentist

Top Tips for Maintaining Dental Crowns

22 February 2021

Julian Andrews

Chipped or decayed teeth can affect your smile and ability to eat normally. In such cases, the best corrective measure is to install dental crowns over the impacted teeth. Since dental crowns are custom made, they fit perfectly; therefore, once installed, you can go back to chewing your food normally and smiling without covering your mouth. However, your maintenance routine will determine how long your dental crowns last. Here are essential tips for maintaining dental crowns.

Use a Nightguard

When most people hear about a nightguard, the first thing that comes to mind is a mouthguard. However, the two devices are different, although they perform the same task. A night guard prevents the upper and lower teeth from touching while you sleep. The device is beneficial for individuals who have a tendency to grind their teeth while sleeping since it damages dental crowns. Even if you do not suffer from bruxism, a night guard can still prolong your dental crowns' service life by a few years. It is advisable to customise your night guard for a comfortable fit.

Reduce Eating Hard Foods

Some quarters advise people with dental crowns to completely cut off hard foods, such as nuts, hard fruits, and crunchy vegetables. Indeed, eating the foods regularly exposes your dental crowns to premature damage. However, instead of doing away with such foods, you can reduce your weekly intake. Noteworthy, doing away with the foods is counterproductive since you might miss out on essential nutrients. That said, you should avoid hard candies and sticky gums because they can easily dislodge your dental crowns from their socket. Besides, the foods have no significant nutritional value to the body.

Do Not Use Teeth as Tools

Plastic packaging and lids, such as those used on snacks and fluids, might seem harmless when opening them using your teeth. However, the damage they can do to dental crowns is enough reason to keep them away from your teeth. Unfortunately, most people continue with the behaviour even after the installation of dental crowns. If you keep opening plastic packaging with your teeth, you risk splintering the lid and lodging it between your teeth. Therefore, you will be forced to remove the broken pieces using a sharp object, putting your dental crowns at risk of falling off. According to dentists, the only time you should use your teeth and dental crowns as tools is when chewing.

To learn more, contact a dentist who provides dental crowns in your area.

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