Since that last visit, things have been pretty good. The pain is almost entirely gone, and all I really had to worry about with the temporary crown was not pulling it off prematurely. That meant being careful with flossing and not eating anything too sticky, neither of which was a major concern. Even so, I've been looking forward to finishing this whole thing off.
This week it was finally time to get the permanent crown and complete the process. This visit to the dentist office was the quickest and easiest I've had since the original cleaning appointment. Didn't need any numbing shots, no delay in the waiting room, no long wait for the dentist. After all the time I've spent there over the last few months, it's nice to have a visit go as planned!
The actual crown installation process is very simple. The temporary crown is pulled off with what is basically a pair of pliers - I felt a minor sting but nothing more. Then a few minutes of scraping off leftover adhesive and an x-ray to make sure everything looks good. Next the crown is cemented in place, it sets for a few minutes, and then extra cement is cleaned off. The whole thing took less than a half hour.
It feels a little odd to have the full tooth again, after all the time with the (small) temporary crown. I'm getting used to it quickly, though. I asked if I needed to do anything special now, and there's nothing to worry about. So I'm back to normal eating, and with any luck there will be no need to worry about my teeth until it's time for another cleaning.
