Does Your Dental Crown Fit Right And Feel Right?
A crown, or cap, is a restoration that is placed over your remaining tooth enamel to improve both its appearance and strength. If you've never had a crown placed before, you may not know how it is supposed to feel and look in your mouth. When a crown is seated, there will inevitably be an adjustment period. Contact your dentist if you have the following symptoms and they aren't improving.
Your Bite is "Off"
When your bite is "off," you may feel awkwardness when chewing or talking. You may be hyper-aware of your jaws meeting one another and feel like the crown is sticking out. A bite that feels off is often due to a crown that cusps that are too tall; your dentist may need to a
Your dentist can fix this issue by having you bite down on articulating paper. Articulating paper is a thin strip covered in fluorescent ink. As your top and bottom jaws meet, the paper will glow at the points of contact. The contact points show the dentist where to adjust the crown to evenly distribute occlusal forces. You usually don't need to send your crown into a lab. Your dentist can use a burr and smooth down the edges before recementing the crown.
Your Crown Feels Loose
Your crown shouldn't feel like removable dentures—it should fit snugly around your tooth. Sometimes a crown becomes loose for one of the following reasons:
- The fit isn't quite right.
- Moisture has loosened the cement.
- There isn't enough cement.
- Patients accidentally floss too roughly.
You should make an appointment as soon as possible if you feel your crown move or loosen. It's easy for bacteria to seep underneath loose crowns, which means your remaining enamel can be damaged.
If the crown becomes so loose that it falls off, you may be able to reattach it. Some stores sell temporary tooth cement so that you can keep your crown on until you are able to get in to see your dentist.
You Feel Sensitive or Achy with the Crown On
Some people assume that their crown will always feel unnatural in their mouth and that they need to get used to it. While you will likely be a little sensitive or sore at first, this should continually fade every day. If you feel pain or sensitivity, the crown is probably sitting too tightly and high on the natural tooth. Again, it's always best to go to the dentist for a check-up.
If your pain or sensitivity escalates too much, that could be indicative of a deeper infection, like nerve damage. You may need to have a root canal redone and then have a new crown placed.
Contact a dental office such as A Q Denture Services for more information on dental crowns and other restorative treatments.
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