What Is a Temporary Dental Crown?
A temporary dental crown is a placeholder restoration that covers your tooth after it has been prepared (shaped down) for a permanent crown. Your dentist or prosthodontist makes the temporary crown in the office, usually from acrylic resin or composite material. It is shaped to resemble your natural tooth and cemented with a temporary adhesive.
The purpose of a temporary crown is threefold. First, it protects the exposed tooth structure from bacteria, temperature changes, and pressure while chewing. Second, it prevents the neighboring teeth from shifting into the space, which could affect the fit of your permanent crown. Third, it maintains your appearance so you are not missing a visible tooth during the waiting period.
Why You Need a Temporary Crown
When a tooth is prepared for a crown, a significant amount of enamel and tooth structure is removed. The remaining tooth core is smaller and more vulnerable than the original tooth. Without a temporary crown, this exposed structure would be sensitive to air, liquids, and food. It would also be at risk for fracture.
A permanent crown is custom-made by a dental laboratory using impressions or digital scans of your prepared tooth. This fabrication process typically takes 1 to 3 weeks, though same-day crowns made with in-office milling technology can eliminate the need for a temporary in some cases.
What to Expect with a Temporary Dental Crown
Your temporary crown is placed at the same appointment where your tooth is prepared. After your dentist shapes the tooth and takes impressions, the temporary is fabricated chairside and cemented in place. The entire process typically takes 60 to 90 minutes.
How a Temporary Crown Feels
A temporary crown may feel slightly different from your natural tooth. The material is smoother and sometimes bulkier. Your bite may feel slightly off at first, but you will adjust within a day or two. If the bite feels significantly high or if you cannot close your teeth together normally, call your dentist for an adjustment.
Mild sensitivity to hot and cold drinks is common during the first few days. This happens because the tooth underneath has been freshly prepared and the temporary cement does not seal as completely as permanent cement. The sensitivity typically fades within a week.
How Long a Temporary Crown Stays On
Most temporary crowns are worn for 1 to 3 weeks. The exact duration depends on how long the dental lab needs to fabricate your permanent crown. If your permanent crown appointment is delayed for any reason, tell your dentist. The temporary can sometimes be recemented or replaced if it begins to wear or loosen during an extended wait.
How to Care for a Temporary Dental Crown
A temporary crown requires extra care because it is not as strong or well-attached as a permanent crown. The temporary cement is intentionally weaker so the crown can be removed easily when your permanent crown arrives.
Eating Restrictions with a Temporary Crown
What you eat matters while wearing a temporary crown. The weaker cement and softer material mean the temporary is more vulnerable to damage and displacement than a permanent restoration.
- Avoid sticky foods like caramel, taffy, gum, and gummy candy. These can pull the temporary crown off the tooth.
- Avoid hard foods like nuts, hard candy, ice, and raw carrots on the side with the temporary. These can crack or break the temporary.
- Chew on the opposite side of your mouth when possible. This reduces stress on the temporary crown.
- Cut food into smaller pieces rather than biting directly into items like apples or corn on the cob.
- Avoid extremely hot or cold foods if you are experiencing sensitivity.
Brushing and Flossing Around a Temporary Crown
Continue brushing the temporary crown gently with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Do not skip this area, as bacteria can still accumulate around the margins.
When flossing, slide the floss out sideways rather than snapping it up through the contact. Pulling floss straight up can catch the edge of the temporary crown and dislodge it. If you use a water flosser, keep it on a low setting around the temporary.
What to Do If Your Temporary Crown Falls Off
Temporary crowns come loose or fall off more often than permanent crowns. This is not unusual and does not mean something is wrong with the underlying tooth. The temporary cement is designed to be removable, and normal chewing can sometimes loosen it.
Steps to Take If Your Temporary Falls Off
If your temporary crown comes off, stay calm and follow these steps.
- Save the temporary crown. Rinse it gently with water and keep it in a clean container.
- Call your dentist or prosthodontist as soon as possible. Most offices can recement a temporary within the same day or the next business day.
- If you cannot see your dentist right away, you can use over-the-counter dental cement (available at most pharmacies) or a small amount of denture adhesive to temporarily hold the crown in place. This is a short-term fix only.
- Do not use household adhesives like super glue. These can damage the tooth and make it difficult for your dentist to properly recement the crown.
- Avoid chewing on the exposed tooth. Eat soft foods on the opposite side until the crown is recemented.
Sensitivity and Pain Under a Temporary Crown
Mild sensitivity to temperature is normal in the first few days after a tooth is prepared and a temporary crown is placed. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help manage discomfort.
Contact your dentist if you experience sharp or throbbing pain that does not improve with over-the-counter medication, pain when biting down that worsens over time, swelling of the gum tissue around the temporary crown, or a feeling that the bite is significantly off. These symptoms may indicate that the temporary needs adjustment or that the underlying tooth needs further evaluation.
Temporary Dental Crown Cost
The cost of a temporary crown is typically included in the overall fee for the permanent crown procedure. When you pay for a dental crown, that fee covers the tooth preparation, impressions, temporary crown fabrication and placement, and the permanent crown at a follow-up visit. Crown fees generally range from $800 to $3,000 per tooth depending on the material, location, and provider.
If a temporary crown falls off and needs to be recemented, there is usually no additional charge. If a temporary needs to be completely remade (for example, if it is lost or damaged), a small additional fee may apply. Costs vary by location, provider, and case complexity. Check with your dental insurance, as most plans cover a portion of crown procedures.
When to See a Prosthodontist for a Crown
General dentists place crowns routinely, and for straightforward cases, a general dentist is a good choice. A prosthodontist is a dental specialist with 3 additional years of residency training in restoring and replacing teeth, including crowns, bridges, dentures, and dental implants.
Consider seeing a prosthodontist when the crown is on a highly visible front tooth where color matching and aesthetics are critical, when you have a complex bite or alignment issues that affect how the crown fits, when you need multiple crowns or a combination of crowns and other restorations, or when a previous crown has failed and you want a specialist evaluation. You can learn more about what prosthodontists do on our prosthodontics specialty page at /specialties/prosthodontics.
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