When a dentist creates a dental crown for one of your teeth, the dentist will take a variety of impressions or digital photos of the tooth and the surrounding teeth in order to have a dental crown made that will fit perfectly in your mouth. Having a perfectly fitting dental crown is important for your comfort and health as well as the durability of the crown. That is one of the reasons that dentists will also spend a lot of time perfecting the fit of the crown after putting it in your mouth. Here are several steps your dentist will take to ensure the crown fits perfectly when putting the permanent crown in your mouth.
Check the contacts
Contacts is a word that refers to the spacing between teeth. When a dentist places a crown on a tooth, the contacts are a vital aspect of testing the artificial tooth. Your dentist will likely do this by using a piece of dental floss, as this offers a great way to test these areas. Your dentist will run floss in between the crown and the surrounding teeth and will adjust the crown if the contacts are too tight or too loose. Contacts that are too tight can lead to problems with keeping the teeth around the crown clean, while contacts that are too loose will often create food traps in your mouth. Your dentist will want the contacts to be just right before cementing the crown permanently in place.
Test the bite
The second main test your dentist will complete when getting a crown is testing your bite. The bite refers to the way the new crown rubs against the teeth on the opposite arch. If the crown is on your upper arch, the dentist will want to make sure it fits correctly with the tooth just below it. To do this, dentists often use a special type of paper. They place this between the crown and the other teeth and will ask you to grind your teeth together. If there is too much color on your teeth from the paper, it typically means that the crown is a little too big. If this is the case, your dentist can shave or polish it to make it just a little bit smaller.
Your dentist will also ask you how it feels to you. While it may feel a little awkward at first, you will likely get to used to it very quickly once your mouth heals from the procedure.
