Dental Crown
 Your teeth are strong. They are the strongest substance in your body. Despite this strength, they can still suffer physical damage and decay, both of which can compromise the structural integrity of your teeth and your oral health. When you have suffered tooth damage, treatment is needed right away. At Raptou Family Dental, we can restore damaged teeth with crowns.
What Happens if I Ignore a Damaged Tooth?
Getting dental treatment for a damaged tooth right away is important, even if the damage seems insignificant. Damage, such a crack or chip, can worsen over time. More significant damage can compromise the structural integrity of the tooth. It might break or shatter under normal biting and chewing pressures. Cracks, chips, and decay can also allow bacteria into the inner layers of your teeth where they can take up residence inside the canals and attack the soft pulp. The pulp, then becomes irritated and inflamed, leading to a painful tooth infection.
Restoring a Damaged Tooth With a Crown
A crown is a dental restoration that is used to treat damaged or decayed teeth. It is a cap-like restoration that covers the entire visible surface of the tooth, providing it with protection as well as restoring its strength. It is often used when the damage is more significant and cannot be treated with bonding, veneers, or fillings.
Types of Crowns
Crowns can be made from several different materials:
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Metal. Metal crowns are made entirely of metal. These crowns are the strongest available and are practically indestructible. However, they are silver or gold in color, making them very obvious.
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Porcelain fused to metal. PFM crowns consist of a metal base and porcelain coating. The metal base surrounds your tooth, much like a metal crown, and provides the same strength and protection. The porcelain coating, however, provides a more aesthetic solution. The biggest disadvantage to these crowns is that the metal can often be seen through the porcelain.
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Ceramic. Ceramic crowns are the most popular option due to superior aesthetics. The material perfectly mimics the color and light reflection properties of your natural teeth. It is not as strong as metal, but ceramic is still fairly strong, and able to withstand most normal daily wear and tear. Read more about All-Ceramic Crowns.
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What to Expect During Crown Placement
Getting a crown, no matter which material you choose typically requires two appointments. During your first appointment, we first need to prepare the affected tooth. This process, performed under a local anesthetic, involves removing a portion of the enamel from the tooth to make it smaller. This is necessary to ensure that your dental restoration will fit comfortably, and naturally, into place. After preparing the tooth, we take an impression of your mouth, which is sent to our dental lab. A temporary crown is placed to protect your tooth while you wait. It can take up to two weeks for your crown to be completed and sent back.
Once your crown is ready, you return for your second appointment, At this appointment, we check your crown for fit and bite. If no adjustments are needed, we secure the crown into place over the damaged tooth with dental cement.
Benefits of Crowns
Crowns provide several benefits, including:
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Protection from further damage.
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Prevention of infections.
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Restoration of strength, allowing the tooth to function normally.
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Preventing the need for a tooth extraction.
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Protecting a tooth following a root canal procedure.
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Anchoring a bridge in place or replacing missing teeth with Dental Implants. |
With a dental crown, we can help to restore the strength of a damaged tooth as well as your oral health. For more information, and to schedule your appointment, call Raptou Family Dental today at (614) 427-0449.
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