The Dangers of Smoking After Getting Dental Crown

Over time, your tooth can get damaged due to decay, trauma, bruxism, and other factors. Fortunately, you can still save your tooth if there’s still enough structure. When a tooth is severely damaged or decayed, a dental crown may be your only remedy to save the tooth.

A dental crown is placed over the damaged tooth restoring the tooth’s strength, stability, function, and appearance. Apart from repairing dental damages, a dental crown strengthens and supports a tooth after a root canal treatment. Similarly, a crown is essential when replacing missing teeth with tooth bridges and implants.

Regardless of your reason for getting a dental crown, you may be wondering whether it’s safe to smoke after the procedure. Generally, smoking is highly discouraged after most dental procedures, including tooth extractions, dental implants, root canal therapy, gum surgery, etc.

This article looks at the dental crown procedure and the dangers of smoking after the procedure.

Dental Crown Procedure

Before placing a dental crown, your dentist will begin by examining your teeth to determine your candidacy for the procedure. The exam may include x-rays to determine the extent of the damage to the tooth and underlying jawbone.

If the tooth is beyond repair, your dentist might recommend extracting the tooth and replacing it with a dental bridge or implant. If the tooth is infected but not beyond repair, the dentist will suggest performing a root canal and placing the dental crown.

If you’re eligible for the procedure, the dentist will begin by reshaping the tooth to provide enough room to accommodate a crown. Numbing makes the procedure painless. Next, impressions and shades of the teeth go to a dental lab to create the customized crown. The dentist makes a temporary crown and places it on the shaped tooth for protection.

Once the customized crown is ready, you’ll return to the dental clinic for fitting. The dentist removes the temporary crown, and the final crown fits onto the tooth. The customized crown cements permanently using a stronger dental cement if all is in order. After that, you’ll be ready to go home. If necessary, your dentist can schedule follow-up appointments to check on the progress of your crown.

If your dentist has the resources to make the same-day dental crowns, you can skip the temporary crown. The dentist takes digital images of your teeth and makes permanent crowns in the office. The dentist can complete the tooth preparation and crown placement in the same appointment.

Dangers of Smoking After a Dental Crown

When undergoing most dental procedures, one of the key things your dentist will tell you is to avoid smoking before and after the procedure. Dangers of tobacco after a dental crown include:

Delayed healing – In general, tobacco products contain harmful chemicals that affect normal blood flow. Smoking after getting a crown deprives the flow of oxygen in the blood, preventing the gums around the treated tooth from healing efficiently.

Increased risk of Infection – Along with delayed healing, tobacco products can irritate the gums around the new crown, causing them to become inflamed. This delayed healing and inflammation increase infection risk in most cases, potentially leading to gum disease and oral infections. Contact an emergency dentist near you if you develop an infection around the crown.

Loose teeth – Delayed healing and infection of the gums surrounding the dental crown can cause receding gums. Eventually, your tooth can become loose and unstable. You may end up losing the tooth and the crown.

Discoloring – While permanent crowns are strong and resistant to stains, smoking can make your crowns appear dull over time. Unlike your natural teeth, once your crown is stained, it can’t be whitened or bleached.

Can I Smoke With a Temporary Crown?

Mostly, temporary crowns are composite resin materials. Compared to your natural tooth’s enamel, the composite resin isn’t as strong and resistant to stains. Smoking will, therefore, likely stain your temporary crown.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you interested in dental crowns and other general dentistry procedures? Contact Riffle Dental Care today to talk with our dentist in Rifle, CO.