Restoring Teeth with Dental Crowns
Dental crowns resemble tooth-shaped caps for restoring a decayed, worn down, or weak tooth. Crowns are also helpful in covering dental implants and a tooth that has undergone endodontic therapy or a root canal. Various materials like porcelain, resin, and porcelain fused to metal help make dental crowns that remain on your teeth for between five and 15 years.
What Are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps dentists use to restore broken, damaged, and decayed teeth. A dental crown fits over your tooth like a snug hat encasing it entirely after the dentist ensures a proper fit by removing some tooth structure, including the enamel and the dentin, before bonding the new restoration over your tooth.
Dental technicians fabricate dental crowns in a laboratory after they receive impressions of your tooth from the dentist after it has been reshaped to accommodate the dental restoration. Getting your tooth restored with a dental crown requires at least two appointments with the dental clinic in Central Northwest for tooth preparation and fabrication of the crown from the dental lab.
When Would You Need a Dental Crown?
You receive a recommendation to restore your tooth with a dental crown to protect and support a weak tooth or one with cracks. In addition, crowns can help restore a broken or worn tooth and hold dental bridges in place if you have missing teeth.
Dental crowns also help hide aesthetically impacted teeth with discoloration or stains unresponsive to teeth whitening. Dental crowns can fortify the tooth by encasing it if you have recently undergone endodontic treatment to eradicate infection inside a tooth. If you are receiving dental implants for missing teeth, dental crowns are mounted atop the implant to function as your artificial tooth.
What Must You Endure When Getting Dental Crowns?
Whether you are getting dental crowns for the reasons described above or for aesthetic purposes, you must endure two visits to dental crowns in central Northwest, Houston, TX.
During your first appointment, the dentist providing the restorations will examine your tooth by taking x-rays to determine whether it has infections. Unless you want the crown to restore a root canal-treated tooth, the dentist will recommend a root canal if your tooth has decayed. If everything is acceptable, the dentist gives you local anesthesia in the mouth before preparing the tooth for restoration. The dentist will remove tooth enamel past the dentin to accommodate the repair. After tooth enamel removal, the dentist will impression the tooth using dental putty or digital scans for the dental laboratory to fabricate your new dental crown. You receive temporary acrylic crowns over the prepared tooth for protection until the dentist accepts your permanent restoration from the dental lab in about three weeks.
You can choose the material for the dental crown by discussing your personal preferences, budget, and the location of the tooth needing the crown, but you will do best if you adhere to your dentist’s recommendation because they will likely suggest metal crowns for your back teeth and aesthetically pleasing crowns fabricated from porcelain or porcelain fused to metal for your visible teeth.
After three weeks, you must revisit the dentist when they would have received your new dental restoration from the laboratory to have it bonded over your tooth.
During your final appointment, the dentist removes the temporary acrylic crowns when checking the permanent restoration of color and fit if you have chosen the aesthetic variety. After ensuring the dental crown matches your needs, the dentist near you uses special dental cement to bond the restoration over your natural tooth to restore its strength, functionality, and appearance.
How long do Dental Crowns Last?
As mentioned earlier, dental crowns span between five and 15 years. However, they often last longer if you maintain excellent dental hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth daily and scheduling regular appointments with your dentist for checkups and cleanings. In addition, you must include an antibacterial mouthwash in your dental hygiene regimen to prevent dental plaque buildup in your mouth and eliminate harmful bacteria. Finally, if you are affected by bruxism, it helps if you discuss the issue with the dentist requesting a custom night guard to protect your teeth and the dental crown.
If you maintain appropriate care of the restoration, you can extend the longevity of the dental crown expecting it to last longer than the specified lifespan.
SND Family Dental provides dental crowns in central Northwest Houston if you need your teeth restored for the reasons described. Please schedule your appointment with them today to get your tooth fixed in three weeks.