A dental crown is a tooth-shaped prosthetic that a dentist customises and permanently places over a natural tooth. Dental crowns serve two purposes: the rehabilitative function- protecting and strengthening a tooth’s structure- and an aesthetic objective- by enhancing your smile.

Experts use highly biocompatible and stain-resistant materials like zirconium dioxide to make modern crowns appear and feel more natural. In addition, these modern materials offer better durability than traditional options such as metal alloys and porcelain. Such hybrid iterations thus provide stronger alternatives while attaining a natural look that masks discolouration or staining. As a result, your bright white smile gets restored and preserved.

However, you are still responsible for cleaning and maintaining your dental crowns despite their durable design. So, here are a few tips on the best ways to manage them.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Dental Crown

Once fitted with a crown, the most important rule of thumb is retaining and enhancing your dental hygiene habits. Doing so helps you preserve the crowned tooth’s longevity while protecting your overall long-term oral health.

Cleaning a dental crown entails:

● Brushing your teeth twice daily.
● Flossing every day to prevent bacterial deposits from forming around the crown.
● Visiting your dentist every six months for routine check-ups and professional cleaning.

These guidelines may seem rudimentary. However, they take on new significance when referring to the care of a dental crown. In this case, thorough cleaning maintains a plaque-free mouth. In turn, you eliminate the risk of infections developing under the crown.

To protect the crown’s surface, dentists recommend that you use quality, non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Additionally, it is best to exercise due care when flossing to avoid potentially dislodging the crown (so pull out sideways instead of snapping the floss out).

Lifestyle Considerations

In addition to dental hygiene, you also have to make some lifestyle changes to maintain your dental crown. They include:

Diet- Your diet dictates your oral and overall health and your crown’s lifespan. Consequently, it would be best to minimise your intake of acidic and sugary foods as they promote erosion, tooth decay and gum disease. This potential is especially sinister when you have a dental crown since the crown will stay intact while the tooth underneath remains susceptible to decay and other ailments.

Other Foods- Avoid ingesting sticky foods that can loosen or dislodge your dental crown. In addition, you must be wary of foods and drinks, which may cause staining. Smoking is also detrimental to the aesthetic function of your crown.

Other behaviours- Your dental crown’s health also relies on addressing behavioural factors like bruxism (more commonly known as jaw clenching) and teeth grinding. So, it is best to seek a dental health professional’s aid in identifying the underlying causes of such behaviours and employing the right tools to prevent further damage.

With proper care and diligent maintenance, a dental crown can last up to a lifetime, during which period you can enjoy all the benefits of having strong teeth and a movie star smile.