A. How To Clean Around Crowns And Bridges
So you’ve just finished your dental work and you’re ready to brag about new crowns and bridges. Congratulations! Now you may be wondering how to keep your new dental investments healthy. The good news is that the answer is quite simple. As usual, we recommend brushing at least twice a day and flossing before brushing every night if possible.
However, there are a few more tools on the market that you may not have considered.
- Proxy Brush. Sometimes called Proxa brushes, these little brushes are reminiscent of the pipe cleaners of your elementary school days. They are available at most drug stores and come with short handles and caps for use on the go, and long handles for accessing your molars. Proxy brushes are great not only when you have a lot of crowns that get food caught between your teeth, but also for slipping under bridges.
- Rubber tip. The rubber tip, also known as the rubber tip stimulator, is old but a treat. This tool usually has a long, thin handle with a rubber ball on the end that points to a point. This handy tip is rubbed along the edges of the crown, just below or at the gumline, almost like tracing a design on paper. The back and forth motion stops plaque and prevents bacteria from crawling under your crowns.
- Water pike. Usually thought of as a tool for people with braces, the Waterpik is an excellent choice for navigating behind crowns on those hard-to-reach molars. Also for people who have trouble flossing under bridges, the Waterpik helps push food and plaque out of the bridge and along the teeth that support the bridge.
B. How To Clean A Dental Crown On An Implant
Cleaning the teeth is essential, even when it comes to a dental crown. Although implants replace a person’s permanent teeth, they still require proper care. Today, the number of people opting for dental implants is increasing. Considering how beneficial this option is, it makes sense.
1. What is a dental implant?
A dentist or oral surgeon inserts a titanium screw into the patient’s jawbone. After healing, a replacement tooth will fit on top. Fixed dental implants look like real teeth. An implant with a dental crown is a great option, whether it’s one tooth, multiple teeth, or all.
2. What is a dental crown?
The tooth crown is the tooth that is placed on the titanium screw. It differs from a standard crown in that it becomes part of the overall implant. Typically, the crown is permanent, meaning the patient cannot remove it. However, there are also overdentures that a person can remove for cleaning. Keeping a dental crown clean and free of debris helps extend the life of the entire implant. Just like normal teeth, crowns are prone to plaque and bacteria build-up. If left untreated, they can cause soft tissue infection. The problem is that infection can cause the implant to fail. The aim is to remove the entire biofilm so that no peri-implantitis develops.
Besides brushing and flossing teeth at home, a person should go to the dentist for regular cleaning. Hygienists have the necessary experience and training to process crowns as part of an implant. Instead of using the same tools to clean natural teeth, dental assistants use different devices. They are made of resin or plastic and do not cause abrasions. In general, hygienists clean the tooth crown, but without risk of damage.
3. Keeping a dental crown clean
Patients with a dental crown as part of an implant should use a soft-bristled toothbrush at least twice a day. As for the type of toothpaste, it’s important to choose a non-abrasive formula. The person needs to brush around and under the crown of the tooth as much as possible. Dental floss is also important. However, it is important to only use unwaxed tape made specifically for implants. For hard-to-reach areas, individuals can purchase a nylon-coated interdental brush.
4. Care of overdentures
For someone with overdentures, they have to remove them daily. Outside, the person should soak them in a detergent made for the purpose and as directed. It is also important to inspect the o-rings, clips, and locator caps. If any of them are missing or damaged, the person must contact the dentist immediately. Using a denture brush will help you reach the floor. Before putting the prosthesis back in place, the person should rinse it thoroughly with water.
5. Master challenges
A tooth crown as part of an implant is a bit more difficult to clean than natural teeth. However, if you follow a scheme like the one above, the process is simple and highly effective. Of course, if a person has any problems, he can go to a dentist for advice. Sometimes the right cleaning is just a matter of choosing a different brush or tool.
6. Keep your smile beautiful and fresh
The way a tooth crown fits onto an implant is nothing short of remarkable. Thanks to advances in technology, people can achieve beautiful smiles in ways never before imagined. Regardless of whether you have a temporary or permanent dental crown, it is imperative that you keep it clean. Avoiding problems will help the implant last a long time.
C. What Happens To The Tooth Under A Dental Crown?
Teeth do not automatically become immune to every oral problem known to man just because they have been covered with dental crowns. Crowns — often referred to as caps — offer a lot of protection to the tooth they surround, but they’re not absolute protection. Oral bacteria are tricky little villains and can get under the crown, especially if you don’t have good oral hygiene practices. When these bacteria get under the crown, they start converting any sugar that gets to the crown into acids that erode tooth enamel. This will root the tooth.
1. Why teeth protected with dental crowns sometimes rot
When inserting a tooth crown, the dentist removes part of the tooth enamel. This is done to ensure a good, tight fit with the prosthesis. Tooth enamel is the strongest part of the human body and its job is to protect the inner, weaker layers of the tooth. Removing some of the enamel in preparation is not a big deal since the crown serves as the new enamel and is actually more resistant to acids than the enamel of a real tooth. The problem is that not everyone takes good care of their teeth. Dental crowns are extremely easy to care for as they do not require any special cleaning. If a person doesn’t take good care of their mouth, their gums are susceptible to infection and bacteria can get to their teeth this way.
Crowns can also become damaged over time. They can be damaged by trauma to the mouth or by chewing on hard objects. When a crown is damaged, bacteria can more easily get to the tooth underneath. If bacteria can get through the crown, so can the sugars they feed on. Bacteria secrete acids after your party, and the acid stays there for a long time because there is no saliva. When a tooth that is not covered with a crown is exposed to acids, the time for the tooth to erode is limited as it is washed away by saliva. This means that a tooth under a crown is more susceptible to decay than one without dentures if the denture is damaged.
2. Keep the tooth under a healthy tooth crown
Here are some simple things you can do to keep a crowned tooth healthy and free of decay:
- Clean your mouth as recommended by a dentist. Brush twice a day and floss at least once
- Avoid habits that can damage the crown
- Repair the crown as soon as possible if damage is found
- Have the crown checked by a dentist at least twice a year
- See a dentist if you notice a black line at the base of a ceramic or porcelain crown
D. How To Clean A Dental Crown
If you have a tooth that has been significantly damaged — whether it’s been bitten by a hard object or weakened by a tooth infection or something else — you and your dentist may consider a dental crown. Dental crowns have both cosmetic and functional value, protecting your tooth and helping it look just like any other healthy tooth in your mouth. Your crown needs care just like your teeth. The crown itself usually does a good job of resisting damage, but in and around the crown is a real tooth that needs protection, and even the crown itself can get into trouble without good dental care.
1. What is needed to care for a crown?
The good news about dental crowns is that they are no different from normal teeth, at least for their purpose. You can clean and care for them like a normal tooth, with recommendations such as:
- Brush Twice a Day – As always, brush twice a day for two minutes each, both inside and around the crown and tooth.
- Dental Floss – Use dental floss or a WaterPik, make sure to floss in your teeth and around the crown. Dental floss only needs to be used once a day.
- Get a Teeth Cleaning – Getting a professional teeth cleaning from one of our experienced hygienists remains one of the best ways to ensure your teeth, crowns and gums are disease free.
These are the same recommendations we would give without a crown, as cleaning a crown does not require any special treatment. It’s as strong as a tooth and behaves like one. However, it is important to note that – at least with crowns chosen to treat serious tooth damage and not for cosmetic reasons – a tooth that has been damaged in a way that requires a crown can be damaged again without proper hygiene.
That said, if you have a crown, you should consider regular and proper brushing and flossing even more important. It’s a sign that your teeth aren’t getting what they need to stay healthy, or a sign that your teeth and gums are more susceptible to damage than other people. While cleaning your crown is no different than cleaning your other teeth, the need for a crown shows that your dental hygiene must be your number one priority.
2. Pay Attention to Your Crown
While cleaning your crown can be similar to cleaning any other tooth, you should pay attention to your crown. If the crown is loose or smells, or feels a bit “buckled,” it could be a sign that your crown (or the tooth underneath it) has become weakened or damaged. When cleaning your crown, make sure you also take a look at it from time to time to make sure everything looks right.
