Care for Crowns, Veneers, and Bridges

Congratulations again! You have just had one or more teeth restored with all Porcelain Restorations. Your teeth are now much stronger that they were with the mercury restorations that were removed or the old crowns/onlays that were replaced. The new restorations have bonded your tooth together. It will not come out if you eat sticky foods. It is nearly as resistant to fracture as your own teeth. It has a natural look that will not fade or change.

Here are a few commonly asked questions and answers about new restorations that you may have:

• Post Treatment Care: Your new restorations are now bonded firmly onto your teeth. You can eat and chew with them right away. Until the numbness is all gone be careful that you do not bite your tongue or cheek. You can also brush and floss around all of your teeth without problems.



• Post Treatment Sensitivity:: After any treatment, teeth that may never have had any discomfort may begin to bother you. Removing old restorations and removing decay can cause the nerve of the tooth to act up. The lack of pain prior to treatment is not an indication of no decay, it is an indication that the tooth has not abscessed yet.



• After receiving treatment, the pulp tissue of the tooth needs time to return to it’s normal resting state. Any bruising that has taken place due to removal of the old mercury restoration or decay under it will need a few days to diminish. Try not to baby the tooth too much as this may prolong the healing process.
  
  Any sensitivity is usually to cold and should last for only as long as the cold is in contact with the tooth or no longer than 10 to 15 seconds. If you have an extreme reaction to heat or cold that lasts for a minute or more, contact our office. You may have had irreversible damage to the tooth’s pulp and require further treatment to calm the tooth down.



• Does Your Bite Feel “Off”?
  
  Your mouth may have been numb while we placed in the new restorations. We have adjusted your new restorations to fit your occlusion (or bite). Yet, until your numbness is all gone or you have had a chance to chew, you might not be aware of any discrepancy with respect to the fit of the new restorations.
  
  If your bite feels off it is important that you contact the office in order to have the restorations adjusted correctly. Your restoration is just as hard as your tooth enamel and it will not self adjust. You have to visit us in order to correct the bite. It is an easy thing to do and does not require numbing or the use of a rubber dam.