A dental crown, or cap, completely covers a tooth to restore it to health. At our office, we use this treatment as a solution for several dental issues, including:
- Holding together a tooth that is particularly weak and at risk of breaking/fracturing
- Restoring a broken or cracked tooth
- Creating an abutment tooth (anchor) for a bridge
- To cover an extremely discolored tooth
- To support a tooth with a large filling
- Other cosmetic reasons
With a crown, you can have confidence that your restoration will provide both looks and function.
Materials
Crowns can be composed of several different materials. These include ceramic, porcelain, resin, and stainless steel. The material used will depend on the reason for placing the crown; cosmetic crowns, for example, are usually made of porcelain or ceramic because these materials can be matched to the color of the surrounding teeth. There are pros and cons to each type of material, so your dentist will take your specific situation into account when making a recommendation on which to use.
Procedure
It generally takes two visits to have a crown placed on a tooth. During the first appointment, your dentist will examine the tooth to ensure that it can support a crown. It will then be numbed before it is filed down to prepare it for the crown (there must be enough room for the crown to fit). If the tooth is severely damaged or broken, your dentist may need to build it up sufficiently so that it can receive the crown. Once the tooth has been prepared, an impression will be taken of it, along with the surrounding teeth. These impressions will be sent to a dental laboratory where the crown will be made. A temporary crown will be placed on the prepared tooth to protect it until the permanent crown is ready.
During the second appointment, the temporary crown will be removed and the permanent on positioned on the tooth to check for the fit. It will be fastened using a special adhesive.
It may take some getting used to after the crown has been placed, but it will quickly look, function, and feel like a regular tooth. If you are looking for tooth restoration, a permanent crown can be the solution. Make an appointment today for a consultation.