Having one of your teeth restored with a crown requires two separate appointments. During the first appointment Dr. Spear removes most of the affected enamel from the tooth, leaving behind an abutment that will later anchor your new crown. The abutment then has a hard plastic cap of a temporary crown cemented over it to protect the abutment while a dental lab makes your permanent crown.
The temporary crown is not a fully functional tooth. It is only meant to protect the abutment. While it can handle the occasional bite of soft food it should not be heavily involved in chewing food. If your temporary crown is damaged or falls out, it could damage the abutment and lead to serious complications.
While you await your permanent crown, you will still need to maintain your oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing twice per day. It’s important to floss around the temporary crown to help keep the surrounding gums healthy. Floss with a waxy coating can more easily slip around the temporary crown to keep in clean of food particles and plaque.
You should also try avoid eating sticky foods or chewing gum on the same side of your mouth as the temporary crown. Sticky foods can potentially pull the temporary crown loose. Biting down on hard foods, crunching on ice or chewing on pens and pencils can also damage the biting surface of the temporary crown.
If your temporary crown comes loose or falls out, you should call Dr. Spear immediately at 817.920.1488 to schedule an appointment.