Your new crown is a serious investment in restoring the damaged enamel of a tooth and restoring the full function and appearance of your mouth. Even though common crown materials like gold, base metals, and porcelain are not subject to tooth decay, they will still require daily, routine care.

Without regular cleaning, the bacteria from food particles and plaque in your mouth can harden into tartar at the gum line. Tartar at the gum line is the primary cause of gum disease, which can affect the abutment anchoring your crown.

Avoid eating sticky foods like jelly beans, caramel, and gum. Your dental crown is secured on the tooth using oral cement. Chewing sticky foods can loosen the crown from the adhesive.

• Do not chew foods such as hard candy, chips, nuts, etc. Eating hard foods can dislocate or even break the crown.
• Do not drink or eat too hot or too cold foods. The dental crown can increase the sensitivity of the teeth and can cause extreme pains if the tooth is exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Gum disease can cause your gums to pull back from the base of your teeth, creating small pockets of infection. This can attack the seam where the cement holds your crown to the abutment. It time gum disease can also cause a loss of material in the bones that anchor the abutment to your jaw.

The American Dental Association recommends that you brush and floss your teeth twice a day. This is the best way to remove food particles and plaque from between the teeth, your crown, and the gum line. This reduces the chances of tartar formation and complications from gum disease. Learn more about Crowns.

Staining is also a consideration for crowns in your smile. Porcelain is only receptive to minor surface stains. If you enjoy staining foods and drinks, or tobacco, it might dull your natural enamel so profoundly that your natural teeth no longer match the color of your crown.

If proper care for your dental crown is not maintained, it can lead to many problems like decaying of the tooth, inflammation of gum tissues, the gingival recession, which leads to dental crown replacement. These precautions are to be observed, and the patient has to maintain good oral hygiene to improve the life of the crown and avoid complications.

It will take between five to fifteen years before you’ll get this replaced. The life of the crown depends on how it is exposed, how you follow regular oral hygiene and your mouth habits.

Your regular dental checkup will help maintain gum health and polish away surface staining before it can progress to the point where it causes matching issues.