HomeAnswersDentistrycrown replacementIs it advisable to fix permanent crown on own?

I had root canal and received temporary crown. Can I do self-cementing of permanent crown?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Beryl F

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Vinodhini J.

Published At March 25, 2020
Reviewed AtMarch 25, 2020

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Earlier this year, I proactively got a root canal and crown for one of my back molars. The procedure went fine, but the Coronavirus hit before I was able to get the permanent crown installed as a last-step. My temporary crown is still in and functioning fine, and I was able to acquire my permanent crown before entering quarantine (and thus have it with me).

I have heard oral infections can be dangerous, and I am mostly navigating around avoiding danger, but obviously I am going into town to get dental work done is also dangerous nowadays. I would like to understand how much more likely I am to get an infection or some other serious complication if I end up going without a crown for a couple of months (especially given I have had an endodontic treatment of the relevant tooth). I have dental cement, and I am similarly curious whether doing an at-home cementing of the crown would be protective or dangerous?

Answered by Dr. Beryl F

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your query and understand your concern.

Firstly, going without a permanent crown but with a temporary crown in place does not gonna cause any serious complications. To make this more clear, I would like to explain the need for a permanent crown after a root canal treatment.

Once the tooth is root canal treated and the infected pulp tissues removed, the tooth becomes dehydrated and is more prone to fractures or chip offs and secondary infections if left uncovered.

The tooth is ideally shaped and reduced to receive a crown. So going without a crown could actually lead to supra eruption of the opposing tooth. So a root canal tooth has to be covered with some sort of crown to prevent chip offs, secondary infections and supra eruption.

Generally, a ceramic or a zirconia crown which can withstand our enormous biting force is installed to protect the underlying tooth. Since the fabrication of such a crown takes time, a temporary or a little less hard crown is installed meanwhile. This can withstand and stay in place for a couple of weeks (depends on the crown and cement material),

But if on following certain instructions, you can expect it to come a little extra longer than that. Maybe a couple of months.

1. Avoid biting hard and chewy foods. Hard foods can cause the temporary crown to crack and chewy and sticky foods tend to dislodge the crown. (Fruit seeds, nuts, chewing gum, cheesy foods, burgers, etc.).

2. Brush gently and skip flossing for that tooth.

3. Keep your permanent crown safe. Probably after a couple of months, let us hope the situation gets fine and you can get it fixed safely.

Please do follow these and let us expect it to come a little longer. Let this pandemic settle and you can get the permanent crown fixed right away.

And it is not advisable to do an at-home permanent crown fixing procedure. Because permanent crowns are strong and are not malleable and adaptable. So if fixed in a very slightly different way could change your bite and cause jaw issues and tooth pain. Sometimes at the doctor's office, the permanent crowns will be adjusted and refinished a little before fixing to bring a proper and stable bite. So fixing at home is not a good idea.

And just in case, if this temporary crown decements by accident, do not worry. This is not gonna cause serious trouble in the future.

I hope this helps.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Beryl F
Dr. Beryl F

Dentistry

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