Stop Tooth Pain in its Tracks

Posted on: 28 August 2018

When you have a tooth break, chip, or an old filling falls out, oftentimes the first thing your dentist will want to do is to place a temporary dental crown over the tooth. If you've ever wondered why this is and why you can't simply keep the crown, here's the explanation you're looking for.

Temporary Crowns

Temporary dental crowns are intended to be used for a short-term basis. They're not as strong as standard dental crowns, and they're not fitted specifically for you. Chances are your dentist had a selection of dental crowns available to them for emergencies like yours, and simply used one of them.

Temporary crowns are designed to keep your tooth safe in the short-term. When a tooth is badly damaged, it loses its protective shell of enamel over at least part of the tooth. This means that the internal parts of the tooth are vulnerable to everything. Everything from bacteria to the simple pressure of using your teeth to chew can be devastating to the softer parts of the tooth like the pulp or dentin. To make matters worse, these areas are usually rich with nerve endings, which means you'd be in a lot of pain without that temporary crown.

Why Not Start With a Permanent?

The main reason that dentists don't give you a permanent crown in the first place is that they need time to have one made. Dental crowns are a personal thing. Your dentist won't simply send you away with an ill-fitting crown that doesn't line up properly with your other teeth. Instead, a custom dental crown will be made that's tailored for your exact teeth size and shape. This way, it will line up with the surrounding teeth and give you an even chewing surface and with no noticeable difference between the damaged tooth and the healthy ones.

The new crown will also be made to cover the area of the tooth that's damaged perfectly. After all, some people will need crowns that don't have to cover much surface area, if for example, the damage went straight down in the center of the tooth. Some people, on the other hand, will need a larger crown that covers everything, as the tooth is missing sides due to damage.

Getting a temporary dental crown to cover your tooth now will prevent you from going through unnecessary pain and prevent your risk of making the tooth's damage worse. If you haven't seen a dentist yet to have your tooth treated, do so now. You'll have to make more than one visit to get both crowns, but this process will ensure that you're protected and ultimately comfortable and happy with the way your tooth feels.

For more information, contact a company like centennial dental group.