Foods You Shouldn't Eat When You Have Caps on Your Teeth

Caps, or crowns, are one way of repairing teeth that are cracked or have cavities. The crown holds the pieces of the tooth together and protects the nerve. Permanent crowns should function like your own teeth. Temporary crowns are affixed with an adhesive meant to hold them in place until the permanent crown is ready. Temporary crowns can come off. Even though this is usually not a serious problem, there are certain foods to avoid to reduce the possibility of removing a temporary crown.

Sticky Foods

• Foods that are chewy or sticky can cause your teeth to stick together when you chew. Pulling your teeth apart can dislodge a crown. You should avoid eating caramel, toffee and other chewy candies. Chewing gum also could remove a temporary crown. Be careful of hard candies that melt as you hold them in your mouth. If you bite down on the hard candy, you will crush the sugar into your crown, causing your teeth to stick together and then possibly pull off the crown.

Very Hard Foods

• Avoid very hard foods, which can exert too much pressure on the crown. Lentils, split peas, some types of rice and other grains occasionally contain small rocks. Be sure to wash these grains and legumes thoroughly before cooking to make sure you don't end up biting down on the rocks. Also be sure that rice, legumes and grains are thoroughly cooked. Some types of cereal or granola might be too crunchy for your crowns. Don't bite or chew ice cubes. Biting down on raw vegetables and fruits such as carrots or very crunchy apples could dislodge the crown. Grinding your teeth also can exert too much pressure on the crown.

Temporary Fixes

• Be careful eating everything if your temporary or permanent crown comes off. Your dentist may advise you simply place the crown back on your tooth until you can schedule an appointment. You can purchase temporary dental adhesives in most grocery stores or pharmacies, but ask your dentist for advice before using such products. Toothpaste will work for a temporary fix. The crown may stay in place with no adhesive, but avoid chewing on the side of your mouth with the crown.

Other Considerations

• In general, do most of your chewing on the side of your mouth that does not have a temporary crown. Be careful not to snag a temporary crown while flossing around it. Let go of one end of the floss and pull it through your teeth, rather than pulling up or down from the gum to the top of the tooth. You should be able to floss around permanent crowns like normal.