How to Ensure Your Porcelain Crowns Keep Looking their Best

Crowns are perfect for restoring your smile by fixing cosmetic and functional flaws in your teeth. Many dentists prefer crowns because they provide long-lasting solutions to your smile. While dental crowns are built to last, they are susceptible to wear and tear if you don’t take optimal care of them. Here are handy tips from Meredith Levine, DDS, Inc. in Century City, California, to help you extend the mileage of your crowns.

• Brush and floss your teeth daily: The beauty of dental crowns is that you don’t have to alter your oral hygiene routine. Brush twice a day and floss daily to protect your restored smile from gum disease.
• Consider a mouthguard: Are you active in sports? Whether you have crowns or not, mouthguards are perfect for shielding your teeth from damage when accidents happen. Similarly, if you grind your teeth at night (bruxism), consider a nightguard to protect your crowns and the entire smile.
• Shun tobacco use: You probably know how hard smoking can be on your overall health. Your newfound smile isn’t safe from smoking, too. While dental crowns take time to stain compared to your natural teeth, it won’t take long before the ingredients in tobacco start diminishing the luster of your crowns. Avoid tobacco use to protect your dental crowns and overall health.
• Don’t bite or chew hard substances: While your crowns are firmly anchored on your teeth, bad habits like nail-biting, chewing pens, and ice can damage your dental work. Avoid habits that put too much pressure on your crowns.
• See your dentist often: This is a big one. Ensure you see a dentist every six months to ensure your crowns are seated properly to protect the tooth underneath. Plus, during appointments, we check the health of your gums to ensure they continue giving your crowns and teeth a firm anchorage.

Dental crowns don’t come cheap, so you want them to serve you as long as possible. With the above tips, your crowns will always keep looking new to preserve the freshness of your smile. Should you have more queries about crown maintenance, please dial (424) 358-3811 to talk to Dr. Meredith Levine.