If some of your teeth have been severely damaged, getting crowns is a viable solution. These go directly over the damaged tooth, making it look whole again. If you're getting crowns put in by a dentist, it's important to care for them in the following ways. 

Sleep With a Night Guard

Getting dental crowns can be a bit problematic if you tend to grind your teeth. This could damage your crowns severely, leading to a costly restoration. To easily prevent this from happening, you can simply sleep with a night guard.

This device looks like a mouthpiece that you would wear during a sporting event, such as football. It's designed to keep your upper and lower teeth from rubbing against each other. So even if you grind your teeth at night, this guard will safeguard your crowns. You can thus sleep soundly knowing everything will be okay after this crown placement. 

Avoid Excessive Chewing

Just like grinding your teeth, chewing on things on a regular basis can be terrible for your crowns. It can move them out of place and even cause them to chip. So that these issues don't rear their ugly head, try not to chew excessively throughout the day.

For example, you don't want to continue to chew on ice or bubble gum. Chewing on sticky candy is also generally a no-no. It may be hard to get out of this habit at first, but over time, you'll get accustomed to keeping your mouth stationary for most of the day. 

Follow Up With Dentist

Even though getting dental crowns is a pretty routine procedure, it's still in your best interest to followup with your dentist after they're put in. Your dentist will conduct a thorough inspection, making sure the crowns were placed appropriately and are staying in position.

If there are potential red flags, such as misalignment or actual damage, the dentist can quickly resolve the issue with a procedure. This way, you don't cause too much damage to your dental crowns and then end up having to pay a lot of money. These inspections are a great precautionary measure to take. 

Dental crowns are incredible apparatuses that dentists use for damaged teeth. If you plan on getting some to improve your overall smile, make sure you know what's involved in terms of their maintenance. When you follow the right care protocol, you can worry less about chronic, costly issues.