Temporary Crown: What It Is and How to Look After It

To fit a crown, the dentist trims the tooth all round to make room. That leaves a smaller, rougher stump, often with exposed dentine. Without cover it would be sensitive to hot and cold, vulnerable to fracture and open to bacteria.

The temporary crown does three jobs. It protects the prepared tooth and the gum around it. It keeps your smile presentable, which matters on a front tooth. And it holds the space, because a prepared tooth with nothing on it can let its neighbours and the opposing tooth drift, and then the permanent crown no longer fits properly.

The order of the visits is described in what happens when you get a crown.

Most temporary crowns are made of acrylic or a composite resin. The dentist either shapes one chairside, usually from a mould taken before the tooth was trimmed, or chooses a ready-made shell and adjusts it to fit. Some are made in the laboratory. A temporary is not a lesser version of the final crown, it is a different product with a different purpose.

It is cemented with a weak temporary cement on purpose, so that it can be taken off easily when the permanent crown is ready. The materials of the final crown are compared in types of dental crowns.

Usually a week or two, which is about the time a laboratory needs to make the permanent crown. Where a crown is made on the day by a milling machine in the clinic, there may be no temporary at all. Ask which applies to you.

A temporary is not built for months of use. The cement can wash out, the margins leak, decay can start underneath, and the tooth can move. If your permanent crown is delayed for any reason, tell the clinic rather than waiting, so the temporary can be checked or replaced.

Avoid sticky foods such as toffee, chewing gum and caramel, because they can pull the crown off. Avoid hard foods such as ice, nuts and raw carrot on that side. Chew on the other side for the whole time you are wearing it.

Brush the tooth as normal, gently, and keep the gum line clean, because a gum that is inflamed makes the final fit harder. When you floss, slide the floss out sideways between the teeth instead of pulling it back up, so you do not lift the crown. Some dentists suggest skipping floss on that tooth entirely, so follow the advice you were given.

The tooth may be sensitive to heat, cold or sweet food for a few days, especially if the nerve is still alive. This usually settles. Sensitivity that gets worse, lingers or wakes you at night should be looked at.

Do not panic, and keep the crown somewhere safe. Call the clinic and ask to be seen soon, because an uncovered tooth is sensitive and can shift. If you cannot be seen straight away, clean the inside of the crown, and you can seat it back on the tooth with temporary dental cement sold at a pharmacy, following the packet.

Never use superglue or any household adhesive. It can irritate the gum, it is not made for use in the mouth, and it can stop the permanent crown from fitting properly. If the temporary is lost or broken, keep the tooth clean, avoid chewing on it and get an appointment.

A temporary that has cracked or has a sharp edge cutting your tongue also needs to be seen, not left. Persistent pain, swelling of the gum, or a bad taste are reasons to call the clinic the same day.

At the second visit the temporary is lifted off, the tooth is cleaned and the permanent crown is tried in. The dentist checks the fit at the edge, the contact with the next tooth, the colour and your bite before cementing it. Small adjustments are made at the chair, and a bite that feels high should be corrected rather than put up with.

A temporary is also used after a root canal on a back tooth, where the permanent crown should follow within weeks, as explained in whether you need a crown after a root canal. Costs depend on the material, and the crown cost page lays out the Lucknow ranges. The crowns and bridges page explains when a crown is advised.