Have your teeth been damaged by trauma or severe decay? A dental crown can help cap the damaged tooth to restore its shape/function and to protect underlying nerves and blood vessels from further aggravation. Your dentist will likely make a mold of your damaged tooth and underlying gums to be used in the fabrication of your lab-created custom crown.

While you await your crown to come back from the lab, you may need to get a temporary crown to help keep your tooth protected. This article seeks to answer important questions you may have on temporary dental crowns.

What is a temporary dental crown?

This is typically a replaceable crown made from plastic that is fitted to your damaged tooth before you can get a permanent ceramic or porcelain crown. The crown is often adhered to your tooth using a temporary binding solution that is easy to remove once your permanent crown is ready.

The temporary crown will likely be made at the dental office and attached to your teeth that same day. After two weeks or so, you will usually need to go back to the dental office so the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent one. 

Why are temporary crowns used?

Apart from allowing you to chew and speak properly before your permanent crown is fabricated, temporary crowns are also useful for several other reasons.

These crowns can cap your tooth after a root canal, allowing the injured pulp to heal and preventing food from getting lodged in there to slow the healing process. The crowns can also help maintain the natural appearance of a damaged tooth as you wait for your permanent crown. 

Furthermore, your temporary crown can prepare your mouth for the adhesion of the permanent crown by helping the gums adjust. This can help decrease the discomfort you are likely to endure once the permanent cap is in place. 

Finally, a temporary crown can help prevent adjacent teeth from shifting, ensuring that the place for the permanent crown is preserved. 

How can you take care of a temporary crown?

Temporary plastic crowns are generally much weaker than their permanent counterparts, so it is important that you take good care of them to prevent damage before they serve out their purpose.

For starters, you should prevent chewing sticky or hard foods that can pull out or break the crown. You should also shift the bulk of your chewing away from the temporary crown, as it can only handle minimal biting pressure.