I totally get the stress—my kid was the same, barely gave me any clues if something hurt. For us, the first week was a little sensitive, but it faded. I did notice she’d chew more on the opposite side, especially with crunchy stuff, so I just watched if her snacks disappeared slower than usual. As for gum, we waited a week like the dentist said, and honestly, it was fine after that. Didn’t need any adjustments, but I kept an eye out for any weird chewing or complaints. My “little trick” was just making sure she rinsed after eating sticky things—seemed to help, and it made me feel like I was doing something useful.
All this rinsing after sticky stuff—makes sense, but I gotta say, my wallet wishes it was that easy. I’m not sure if it’s just my luck, but my crown (which cost more than my last vacation, by the way) lasted about two months before I heard that dreaded “crack” on a popcorn kernel. Dentist told me, “No crunchy stuff on that side for a while.” Yeah, right. Try telling that to someone who snacks when stressed.
For me, the whole “wait a week for gum” thing didn’t quite work out. I caved after five days and, surprise, the gum stuck and yanked the crown halfway off. Ended up back in the chair, paying for an “adjustment” that was basically superglue and a pep talk. I honestly think these things are like cell phone screens—no matter how careful you are, if it’s gonna break, it’ll break.
What’s actually helped me (and my tight budget) is just avoiding the really sticky or crunchy stuff as much as possible. Not perfect, but I’d rather skip a caramel than pay another $800. I do the rinse thing too, but honestly, I feel like it’s more for my peace of mind than the crown’s. Maybe I’m just paranoid after that popcorn incident.
Anyway, just my two cents. Sometimes I wonder if crowns are just destined to test our snack choices and our savings at the same time...
I honestly think these things are like cell phone screens—no matter how careful you are, if it’s gonna break, it’ll break.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had a different experience. My first crown lasted almost eight years—survived chips, salsa, and my stress-snacking habits. I did baby it for the first few weeks though, which was torture. Maybe some of us just get lucky with the glue job? Still, I totally agree about the wallet pain... $800 for a tooth is wild.
I totally get the anxiety about crowns breaking—mine always felt like they could pop off if I so much as looked at a caramel. But weirdly, my last one’s still hanging in there after six years. I’m super careful though, maybe even paranoid... I cut apples into tiny pieces and avoid ice like it’s poison. Sometimes I wonder if all that caution even matters, or if it’s just luck with the dentist or the glue. Either way, $800 is enough to make anyone nervous about chewing too hard.
