You have just completed the first phase of transforming your smile. Whether you are repairing a damaged tooth or bridging a gap to restore function, the preparation appointment is the most intensive part of the process. Now, while our laboratory artisans craft your custom permanent restoration, you have a temporary crown or bridge in place. This interim phase is critical for the success of your treatment.
At Celebrity Smiles, we believe every patient deserves a red-carpet experience, even during recovery. Proper aftercare ensures that your gums heal beautifully, your tooth remains healthy, and your final result is nothing short of perfection. This guide will walk you through exactly how to care for your temporary restoration and what to expect in the days ahead.
The First Few Hours: Managing Numbness
As you leave our office, it is likely that your tongue, lips, and the roof of your mouth will still be numb from the local anesthetic. This loss of sensation typically lasts for a few hours. While it keeps you comfortable, it also presents a minor risk: because you cannot feel pain or temperature, it is very easy to accidentally bite your cheek, lip, or tongue, or to burn your mouth without realizing it.
For your safety, please refrain from eating solid foods and drinking hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. If you need to drink something, stick to lukewarm or cool liquids. Once the sensation returns, you can begin to introduce food, but proceed with caution.
Understanding Your Temporary Restoration
Your temporary crown or bridge is a placeholder, but it performs several vital jobs. It is custom-made from an acrylic material to:
- Protect the prepared tooth from sensitivity and bacteria.
- Preserve the gum line so your permanent crown fits seamlessly.
- Hold space by preventing adjacent teeth from shifting.
However, unlike your permanent restoration, the temporary is attached with a “soft” cement. This is intentional, as we need to be able to remove it easily when your permanent crown is ready. Because of this, it is not as durable as a natural tooth or final porcelain restoration. You must treat it with care to keep it secure.
The “Soft Food” Diet Strategy
To prevent your temporary from breaking or dislodging, we recommend a soft food diet for the first 24 hours. This gives the temporary cement ample time to set and allows any inflammation in the tooth nerve to settle down.
What to Avoid
You should avoid any foods that require significant chewing force or that are sticky enough to pull the crown off.
- Hard/Crunchy: Ice, nuts, hard candy, raw carrots, pretzels, and chips.
- Sticky/Chewy: Gum, caramel, taffy, gummy bears, and steak.
Celebrity-Approved Soft Foods
Here are some excellent options that are gentle on your temporary but still delicious:
- Proteins: Scrambled eggs, finely chopped chicken, ground beef, and Greek yogurt.
- Comfort Foods: Mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, and oatmeal.
- Cool Treats: Ice cream, pudding, apple sauce, and Jell-O.
- Liquids: Cooled soup (ensure it is not piping hot).
A Note on Front Teeth: If your temporary crown is on a front tooth (an incisor), avoid biting directly into foods like apples, sandwiches, or pizza crusts. The leverage can snap the temporary. Instead, cut your food into small, bite-sized pieces and chew with your back teeth.
Oral Hygiene: Keeping It Clean
Great oral hygiene is non-negotiable, even with a temporary. If plaque builds up around the gum line, the gums can become swollen and bleed. This makes cementing your permanent crown difficult and can affect the final aesthetic result.
- Brushing: Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Be gentle around the gum line of the treated tooth, but ensure you are removing food particles.
- Flossing: This requires a specific technique. You should floss daily, but be careful. Slide the floss down between the teeth as usual to clean the contact point. However, when removing the floss, do not pull it back up. Pulling up can catch the bottom edge of the temporary and pop it off. Instead, release one end of the floss and pull it out through the side.
Managing Sensitivity and Gum Health
It is normal to experience some sensitivity to temperature and pressure after your appointment. The tooth has undergone a procedure, and the nerve may be slightly agitated. This sensitivity typically subsides within a few days, though it can linger until a few weeks after the permanent restoration is placed.
Saltwater Rinses
If the gum tissue around the temporary crown feels sore or sensitive, a warm saltwater rinse is a simple, effective remedy.
- Recipe: Mix ½ teaspoon of salt into ½ cup of warm water.
- Method: Rinse gently, swishing the solution around the sore area for 30 seconds, then spit.
- Frequency: Repeat this 4 times a day to soothe inflammation and keep the tissue healthy.
Pain Medication
For general discomfort or soreness in the jaw, over-the-counter pain medication can be very helpful. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) is often the best choice as it helps reduce inflammation. If you cannot take ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a good alternative.
If your pain gets progressively worse, keeps you up at night, or causes more than mild discomfort that medication cannot control, please contact Celebrity Smiles immediately.
What If the Temporary Comes Off?
Despite your best efforts, a temporary crown may occasionally come loose or break. If this happens, do not panic, but do not ignore it. Your temporary plays an essential role in holding the space for your permanent tooth. If it is left off for too long, your teeth can shift, and the permanent crown may not fit.
Please contact our office right away if your temporary falls out. We will schedule a quick visit to recement or repair it. If you cannot get to us immediately, you can find temporary dental cement at most pharmacies to hold it in place until you see us—but please call us first for instructions.
The Final Reveal
We are currently working with our lab to create a restoration that matches the shade, shape, and function of your natural teeth perfectly. By following these aftercare instructions, you are ensuring that the foundation for your new smile remains strong.
We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment for the final placement. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please reach out to the team at Celebrity Smiles. We are here to keep you smiling confidently every step of the way.
