A crown is used to protect an already damaged tooth from further decay. Porcelain and metal are a few of the common materials that are used to construct dental crowns. While these materials are durable, they are not intended to last a lifetime. Therefore, it is expected that they may eventually crack, break or fall out during the course of their lifespan. If your crown falls out, it is important to see your dentist as soon as possible. If you are unable to schedule an appointment with your dentist right away, then it is important to keep the tooth clean until then. During this time, your tooth has an increased chance of becoming infected. Luckily, there are a few tips that you can use to make sure that your tooth remains infection free after your crown falls out.
Brush Your Teeth After Every Meal
The tooth underneath the crown is already weak due to prior tooth decay. It is important to brush your teeth after every meal in order to keep your tooth clean. Therefore, you can use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean around the tooth and remove any food.
Avoid Eating Hard Foods
Eating hard foods can end up cracking the exposed tooth. Each time that you chew on hard foods the force chips away at the already weak tooth. Once your tooth cracks, it will reveal the nerves that are located in the root of your tooth. The crack allows food and other bacteria to seep in and contaminate your tooth. Once the tooth becomes infected, you will likely have to get a root canal procedure. In order to avoid this from happening, you should opt for softer foods that can be swallowed easily and require very little chewing.
Rinse Your Mouth with Warm Salt Water
Salt water rinses are often recommended after a dental procedure because they help to ward off infection and kill bacteria. These bacterial rinses are what you need until your dentist is able to fix your crown. It is important to rinse your tooth and mouth with salt water immediately after each meal. In addition, you should use the rinse to clean your tooth every few hours.
Once your crown falls out, your dentist will need to cement a new crown on top of the exposed tooth. Until then, use these tips to keep the area as clean as possible in order to prevent infection. Visit a website like http://www.owocfamilydentistry.com to learn more.
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