A temporary is a crown or bridge made out of acrylic that is placed until the permanent crown or bridge is made and ready to be placed. It is normal for the gums around your tooth to be a little sore when the numbness wears off. This should disappear by tomorrow. Do your best to chew on the opposite side until your next appointment. Chewing sticky foods may dislodge the temporary.
It is not uncommon to have the following reactions or problems with the temporary:
It feels rough:
Please call us if it is making the tongue sensitive
It feels high:
Please come in so we can adjust it. You can ‘bruise’ a tooth if it is too high
It is not how I want the final restoration to look:
Don’t worry, the permanent will look much better. Remember, this is only an acrylic ‘place holder’ for the permanent restoration
It came off:
This is probably the most common problem. It is supposed to come off easily and some foods will help in this. Stay away from sticky foods or gum. It is important for it to be there because it retains the space for the permanent restoration, so call us and we will recement it or, if unable to come in, you can put it back in with a denture adhesive or Vaseline until you can come into the office
It is sensitive:
The temporary will not always fit as well as the final restoration will, so there may be some sensitivity to hot and cold as well as chewing. If it is too uncomfortable, please call. Use warm water rinses, 1 tsp. salt in 8 ounces of water, 3-5 times a day for 3 days, this will help clean the area and take the ache away
The temporary is very important. It protects the exposed tooth so it is not sensitive, prevents food from gathering in the preparation, and prevents the prepared tooth from shifting and moving, making seating of the permanent tooth more difficult. Use your toothbrush to clean the temporary as you normally do your other teeth. To floss the temporary, bring the floss through the contacts of the teeth to the gumline in a ‘C’ shape, then pull the floss straight out, not back up through the contact or it will pull the temporary off.
If you have any questions, please call us at 203-746-1200