Dental Crowns Types, Procedure, and Taking Care
What are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are basically caps for a damaged tooth. Your teeth sustain damages over time due to injuries, decay, or plain overuse. The damages alter the appearance and size of the teeth to require a dental crown to protect them. You can have dental crowns on molars that are rarely visible or consider them on your front teeth damaged due to any reason.
When choosing a dental crown for your damaged or decayed teeth, you must consider several factors, including the crown’s strength, durability, and cost. You may also have aesthetic preferences to ensure your natural appearance doesn’t detract from your smile. The dentist in 75067 can discuss various options available to help you figure out which dental crown best suits your needs.
Different Types of Dental Crowns
Different materials help make dental crowns for your teeth, including ceramic, metal, porcelain, composite resin, zirconia, and a combination of materials. For example, you can choose porcelain fused to metal crowns instead of an all-porcelain crown.
When recommending dental crowns, the dentist in Lewisville, TX, consider factors like your tooth’s location, the function of the tooth needing the crown, how much natural tooth remains, your gum tissue positioning, and how much the tooth becomes visible when you smile, and the color of your surrounding teeth. You can also discuss your aesthetic preferences with the dentist to ensure they understand what you want.
Why Do You Need Dental Crowns?
That you need dental crowns confirms you have a large cavity in your tooth where fillings will not hold the tooth or your tooth is severely worn, cracked, or weakened. You may also receive a recommendation for getting a dental crown if you have undergone root canal therapy which renders your tooth fragile and needs protection. In addition, if you have missing teeth can have dental crowns if you have considered getting replacements with bridges or implants.
The Procedure for Getting Dental Crowns
The procedure for getting dental crowns remains similar regardless of which variety of crowns you select for your tooth. Currently, two types of dental crowns are available, including the traditional variety requiring about three weeks to customize and the same-day variety available from a few dentists providing your restorations within a couple of hours. However, you must undergo the preparatory procedure for dental crowns and have temporary crowns over your prepared tooth if you have selected traditional crowns instead of the same-day variety.
Traditional Dental Crown Process
When you visit dental crowns in Lewisville, TX, to restore the tooth, the dentist examines your tooth, taking x-rays and also making a mold of the tooth and mouth beforehand. You receive local anesthesia in your mouth near the affected tooth to numb pain impulses as the dentist begins to prepare your tooth for the dental crown.
You must endure filing of tooth structure from the tops and sides to remove part of the outer layer before the dentist makes impressions of the prepared tooth and surrounding teeth. You receive a temporary crown over the prepared tooth to protect it until your permanent crown is fabricated by the dental laboratory. The dental laboratory requires at least three weeks to fabricate your restoration, after which you can revisit the dentist to have the crown cemented over your prepared tooth.
During your final visit, the Lewisville dentist starts the procedure for cementing the permanent crown by removing the temporary restorations and checking the color and fit of the new crown. If everything is acceptable to all, the dentist cements the crown over your tooth to give you a durable restoration.
Caring for Dental Crowns
After you have your new crown, you must take good care of it. Your crown needs proper attention for assistance to prolong its life. You can use the following tips to help you maintain your dental restoration.
You must practice careful brushing, and if you are not brushing two times per day, it is time for you to change the habit. Consider using toothpaste for sensitive teeth because the dental crown can cause sensitivity to the teeth around it and your gums. Flossing your teeth every day helps keep all your teeth in prime condition. You must avoid chewing ice or hard foods that can cause your crown to crack, especially if you have a porcelain crown. If you are affected by bruxism, the dentist might recommend a nightguard to protect your dental crown and surrounding teeth.
If you think you need dental crowns and are looking for various them, Arte Dental — Lewisville can provide you with a selection and restore your tooth. Book your appointment or visit us for a discussion.