After Your Crown or Bridge Fitting
How to care for your new crown or bridge, what is normal in the first few days, when to contact your dental team, and how to make it last.
Urgent help: who to contact
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you find it hard to breathe, swallow or speak, or if swelling spreads to your neck, under your tongue or around your eye.
Contact your dental team if your crown or bridge comes off, you have severe pain or swelling, your bite feels very uneven, or the gum around the crown becomes red and swollen. If you cannot reach your practice outside working hours, call NHS 111.
After Your Appointment Today
You may have had a temporary crown fitted while your permanent crown is being made. Or you may have had a permanent crown or bridge fitted today. Either way, the first steps are much the same.
- Numbness: the numbing injection may keep your mouth numb for 1–3 hours. Do not eat until all feeling has come back. Take care with hot drinks.
- Sensitivity: some sensitivity to hot, cold and biting is normal. It usually settles within a few days to a couple of weeks.
- The gum may be tender around the edge of the crown, where it meets the gum (the margin). This is normal after the tooth has been shaped and the crown fitted.
Looking After a Temporary Crown
A temporary crown needs some extra care while your permanent one is made in the laboratory. Temporary crowns are not as strong as permanent ones.
- Avoid sticky or very chewy foods, such as toffee, chewing gum and crusty bread. They can pull the temporary crown off.
- Do not bite very hard foods with the temporary crown.
- When you floss next to a temporary crown, do not flick the floss upwards. Slide it out sideways so the crown does not come loose.
- If the temporary crown comes off, keep it safe and contact your dental team. It is usually easy to stick back on. Try not to leave the shaped tooth uncovered for more than a day or two.
Caring for Your Permanent Crown or Bridge
A crown or bridge that is well cared for can last 10–15 years or more. Here is how to protect it:
- Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Take extra care at the edge of the crown where it meets the gum (the margin). Plaque builds up here, and decay can start here if cleaning is poor.
- Clean under and around bridges: food and plaque can collect under the false tooth (pontic). Clean underneath every day with floss threaders, super floss or an interdental brush. Your dental team or hygienist will show you the best way.
- If you grind or clench your teeth at night, ask your dental team about a night guard. Grinding is one of the main causes of crowns breaking.
- Do not use the crowned tooth to bite very hard things, such as ice, boiled sweets or pen lids.
- Go to regular check-up and hygiene appointments. Your dental team will check the edges of the crown and the health of the gum around it.
What Is Normal and What to Watch For
Normal:
- Mild sensitivity to hot, cold and biting for up to 2 weeks
- Slightly tender gum around the crown for a few days
- The crown feeling a little different from your natural tooth at first
- Needing a small adjustment if your bite feels slightly off
Contact your dental team if:
- Your bite still feels very uneven after 3–4 days (you need a simple bite adjustment)
- Sensitivity is getting worse, not better, after 2–3 weeks
- The crown feels loose or comes off completely
- The gum around the crown becomes swollen or red, or bleeds easily (this may be a gum problem at the edge of the crown)
- You have severe pain that does not go away, or you see swelling
When to Contact Your Dental Team Urgently
Contact your dental team quickly if:
- Your permanent crown or bridge comes off. Keep it safe, do not eat on that side, and call your practice.
- You have severe pain that painkillers are not settling
- You see swelling in your face or your temperature is above 38°C
- The crown cracks or breaks
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you find it hard to breathe, swallow or speak, or if swelling spreads to your neck, under your tongue or around your eye. For other urgent problems, contact your dental practice. If it is closed, call NHS 111.
This leaflet is for general information only and does not replace professional dental advice. Your dental team will discuss your individual circumstances and any risks specific to you. Treatment outcomes vary between patients depending on individual circumstances.
Sources
- Crowns, Fixed Bridges and Dental Implants: Guidelines. British Society for Restorative Dentistry, 2013.
- Dental treatments. NHS website (nhs.uk), reviewed July 2026.
- Crowns. Oral Health Foundation.
- Bridges. Oral Health Foundation.
Links checked 18 October 2026.
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