Instead of having your broken or decayed tooth pulled, it may be possible for your dentist to save the remaining portion of your tooth with a crown. Dental crowns are fixed prosthetic devices and are sometimes referred to as caps. They are attached to the healthy portion of your tooth and according to WebMD, dental crowns can last anywhere between five and 15 years. Below is a list of tips you can follow to extend the life of your caps so that they last the maximum 15 years.
Avoid Hard Food Items
There are certain food items that are really hard on your teeth, including your veneers. Protecting your crowns from damage is as simple as forgoing these foods. Common culprits include ice chips, hard candies, lollipops, mints, and cough drops. When it comes to desserts try to stick with chocolate-based sweets instead that dissolve easily in your mouth.
Cut Out Bad Oral Habits
Some individuals have developed habits that could cause the dental crowns to break down much sooner than they would if the habit did not exist. If you find that you tend to grind your teeth at night, you'll want to pick-up a mouth guard from the pharmacy to protect your caps. Biting your fingernails or using your teeth for anything other than chewing, such as opening a bottle cap, should also be stopped as soon as possible.
Continue to Brush and Floss Your Teeth Daily
Although the crown isn't a real tooth, it still needs to be kept clean, otherwise it can decay just like a natural tooth. In addition to brushing, you'l want to floss on either side of the tooth that has the crown in order to remove stuck-on foods. Afterward, rinse your mouth out with an antibacterial mouthwash to ensure that all of the germs in your mouth have been eliminated.
Keep Regular Dentist Appointments
Your crown, just like your other teeth, needs to be examined on a regular basis. Should there be a problem, the dentist will be able to address it immediately to keep your dental crown in the best shape possible so that it lasts a long time. The dentist will look for any chips, which can be repaired with a composite resin, as well as examine how well the crown is fitting. Loose caps must be adjusted right way so that bacteria doesn't have a chance to make its way up and under the cap, causing infection.
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