Crowns, Bridges & Veneers Aftercare
For: Crowns & Bridges, Porcelain Veneers, CEREC (Same-Day Crowns)
Stage: Covers both stages: wearing a temporary, and after your final crown, bridge or veneers are placed
How to look after a temporary while your final restoration is made, and how to care for your new crown, bridge or veneers once they are placed.
Questions about your recovery? Call the office where you were treated.
The Most Important Things to Do
- Wait until the numbness wears off before eating or drinking anything hot.
- Be gentle with a temporary. Avoid sticky and hard foods on that side, and chew on the other side when you can.
- Floss by sliding the floss out to the side next to a temporary, instead of pulling it back up.
- If a temporary comes off, keep it and call us. Do not leave the tooth uncovered.
- Call us if your bite feels high once the numbness is gone. A quick adjustment prevents soreness.
When to Call Us
- A temporary that is loose, broken or has come off.
- A bite that still feels high or uneven once the numbness is gone.
- Sensitivity or pain that gets worse instead of better, or pain when you bite.
- A crown, bridge or veneer that feels loose, chips or cracks.
- Gums around the restoration that stay swollen or sore.
What Is Normal Today
- Numbness for a few hours after the visit.
- Some sensitivity to hot and cold for a few days or weeks as the tooth settles.
- Mild gum tenderness around the tooth where it was prepared.
- A new restoration that feels slightly different to your tongue. Most people adjust within a few days.
Stage by Stage
While You Wear a Temporary
- The temporary is held with softer cement so it can be removed later, so it is not as strong as your final restoration.
- Avoid sticky foods such as caramel and gum, and hard foods such as nuts and ice, on that side.
- Temporary veneers are fragile. Do not bite into hard foods with your front teeth.
After Your Final Restoration
- Once the numbness has worn off you can usually eat normally, starting with softer foods for the first day.
- Brush and floss normally. For a bridge, clean under the false tooth every day as you were shown.
- Avoid biting ice, pens or fingernails, and wear your night guard if one was made for you.
Had a same-day CEREC crown at our Chicago office? There is no temporary stage, so the guidance for your final restoration applies from the start.
Cleaning & Activity
- Brush twice a day with a soft toothbrush and clean between the teeth once a day.
- A toothpaste for sensitive teeth can help if the tooth feels sensitive.
- If you play contact sports, ask us about a sports mouthguard to protect your restoration.
Medication
- Mild soreness usually responds to an over-the-counter pain reliever. Take it as directed at your visit or on the label.
Where anything here differs from what you were told at your visit, follow the specific instructions you were given at your visit.
Follow-Up Visits
- If you have a temporary, keep the appointment to place your final restoration.
- Regular cleanings and checkups let us check the edges of your crown, bridge or veneers and the gums around them.
Last revised
Questions about your recovery? Call the office where you were treated.