Sensitivity After Dental Crown Placement
If you suffer from serious tooth decay or tooth injury, dental crowns are an ideal restorative treatment option. Dr. Charles Casey and Dr. Patrick Casey can place a custom dental crown to help restore the damaged tooth structure and improve your overall dental health and wellness in the process.
After getting a dental crown, temporary side effects are common. The team at our Montreal, QC cosmetic and restorative dentistry centre would like to consider the issue of tooth sensitivity after a crown has been placed and what can be done about it.
How Dental Crowns Are Placed
To understand why tooth sensitivity occurs after dental crowns are placed, it’s important to consider how teeth are capped.
When getting a dental crown, first it’s important to remove the damaged structure of a tooth. This ensures that only healthy tooth structure is in place. An impression of the remaining tooth structure is taken from which the dental crown is crafted. The crown is placed onto the prepped tooth to restore a patient’s ability to bite and chew and to protect the tooth from discomfort and potential infection.
Is Tooth Sensitivity Normal with New Crowns?
Yes.
Temporary tooth sensitivity is a common side effect after a dental crown is placed. This is because the underlying tooth structure is more sensitive to pressure and hot/cold temperatures.
How Long Will the Sensitivity Last?
Typically, the tooth sensitivity after a crown is placed lasts for about a few days to a week. The exact duration can vary based on a number of factors, but that is the usual timeframe. Patients should notice reduced sensitivity from day to day as they adjust to the crown.
Thankfully there is a lot a patient can do to minimize sensitivity after a dental crown is placed. Here is some helpful advice.
Adjusting Your Diet and Eating Habits
After getting a dental crown, it’s a good idea to temporarily adjust your diet to help avoid tooth sensitivity. Eat soft foods for a few days, and avoid crunchy, crispy, or chewy foods. If possible, it’s best to chew on the side of your mouth opposite the dental crown in order to avoid discomfort.
Avoid Hot and Cold Temperature Foods/Beverages
Since hot and cold temperatures can lead to tooth sensitivity after a crown is placed, it’s a good idea to avoid hot and cold foods and beverages. Lukewarm and room temperature foods will avoid those sharp moments of discomfort during meals.
Use a Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth
There are toothpastes for sensitive teeth that are very helpful for people who’ve recently gotten crowns placed. Be sure to use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth after you have a crown placed. Keep the toothpaste around just in case you experience a future toothache or bout of tooth sensitivity.
Attend Follow-Ups as Scheduled
After getting a dental crown placed, you will have a follow-up visit or two at our practice to ensure the procedure went as planned and you are no longer experiencing any serious side effects. Be sure to attend all of these follow-up visits as scheduled, and feel free to reach out to us if you notice the tooth sensitivity does not improve or you have serious bouts of discomfort.
Learn More About Dental Crowns
For more information about dental crowns and how to best improve your health and wellness, be sure to contact our team of skilled cosmetic and restorative dentists. You can reach Smile Montreal by phone at (514) 937-6558.