What to expect...

After a crown preparation

Temporary crown care

So that your tooth is protected, we have placed a temporary crown until your permanent crown is completed. We will be removing your temporary crown at your next visit, so it is only glued with temporary cement. It is designed to come off. It is very important that you treat this tooth care, avoid sticky foods, and when flossing pull the floss out sideways by one end only.

The temporary crown might feel a little rough, and the colour may not match exactly. However at your next visit we will replace this temporary with a permanent crown which will be a perfect fit and have an excellent colour match.

Lost temporary crown

If your temporary crown comes off, it is important that you contact us to get it put back on. If you have lost, broken or swallowed your crown, don’t worry, we can quickly and easily make a new one. If the crown is not replaced, the tooth may move and your finished crown may not fit.

After a filling or final crown fitting

Sensitivity

It is not uncommon to get temporary sensitivity to biting, hot or cold. Normally this will settle down in the next few days. If necessary, post-treatment sensitivity can be treated the same way as dentine sensitivity.

In rare cases sensitivity may last longer. This usually occurs with deep fillings where there is only a thin layer of tooth protecting the pulp (nerve) underneath. Luckily the cells in the pulp are very clever and can lay down more dentine on inside of the tooth. In effect the pulp recedes back into the root as the tooth heals itself. Tooth tissue is very hard, much harder than bone. A broken bone may heal in a matter of weeks whereas an injured tooth can take weeks or months to settle.

If the tooth fails to keep improving or gets worse, please contact us.

High spots

We carefully check your restoration to make sure it is not too high. However sometimes when you are lying back with your jaw in a different position, or after local anaesthetic, it is difficult to get you to bite together normally. If your tooth feels high please contact us, as you risk damaging the restoration or hurting the tooth. It is very easy to adjust and usually takes no more than five minutes. Of course there is never any fee for these adjustments.

White fillings

For the best aesthetics and to save the maximum amount of tooth, the most commonly used fillings are tooth coloured, composite resin. Composite is a plastic type filling material that is bonded to the tooth. The bonding procedure uses a mild acid to prepare the tooth. This opens the pores or tubules in the tooth so the glue layer has something to grip on too. These tubules can transmit temperature and pressure to the nerve in the center of the tooth. This is the reason you may experience some sensitivity, especially in deeper fillings.

Composite fillings are set with a bright blue light during your appointment. You can bite on them straight away. You can brush and floss normally.

Amalgam fillings

Amalgam (metal) fillings are one of the strongest fillings placed directly into your tooth. However they take 24 hours to harden and reach their full strength. Try to avoid biting or chewing on that tooth until the following day. It is alright to eat and drink, simply try and chew on the other side. You can brush and floss normally.

We are unable to bond amalgam fillings to your tooth. The filling has to be held in by undercuts and sometimes pins. As amalgam and the pins are metal they will conduct temperature very well. For this reason amalgam fillings are often hot and cold sensitive after placement. This may last for several days but should keep steadily improving. Remember if the tooth fails to keep improving or gets worse, please contact us.

Home care

All fillings and crowns can be brushed and flossed daily from the time they are placed. As meticulous as we are, the join between a filling and a tooth will never be as smooth as a natural tooth surface. We highly recommend using a fluoride toothpaste. This will help keep the tooth and filling margin free from plaque and as resistant to decay as possible.

Complications

Fillings are never placed in healthy teeth. They are always placed in teeth compromised by decay, cracks, fractures, previous restoration or combinations of these problems. Every time a tooth is treated the nerve is stressed. Sometimes the tooth will not recover from the stress or trauma of a filling and may start to die. When this occurs, the tooth can usually be saved by performing root canal treatment.

If you have any questions or persistent symptoms which fail to improve or get worse, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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