Whether you have just gotten your first dental crown, or you have had several for a period of years, you need to be sure that you take steps to protect your dental work.
Doing this can help make sure that the crowns last longer, saving you the time, expense, and inconvenience of having them replaced. Here are a few things you can do in order to make sure your dental crowns last as long as possible.
Continue Your Regular Oral Hygiene Routine
Hopefully you are in the habit of brushing your teeth at least twice every day with a good toothpaste containing fluoride. In addition, you need to be sure that you are flossing at least once in every 24-hour period. If you are, continue this routine even after getting the crown. If you’re not in this habit, you need to pick it up-or there may be more dental work necessary in the future.
Take Care with Your Chewing
Your parents probably told you again and again when you were growing up that you should not chew on ice because it would crack your teeth. They were right: chewing on ice can cause microscopic fractures in the enamel, and these fractures can worsen over time.
But it’s not just ice that you need to avoid. Chewing on other hard things such as hard candy, overly sticky foods like peanut brittle, and other similar things can also damage your teeth. Plus, if you have dental work, the sticky foods could pull on the dental work and cause it to come loose.
Caring for your crowns might seem like an overly complicated proposition. However, as time passes, you will find that it becomes second nature and requires very little additional thought or effort on your part. And your teeth will be healthier and stronger because of it.