A dental crown is a protective cap placed over all sides of a damaged, discolored, or vulnerable tooth. Dental crowns can be made of various materials such as porcelain, metal, or zirconia. Porcelain crowns blend in with the natural teeth perfectly and are desirable for teeth located at the front of the mouth.
When a tooth has been chipped or worn down or is missing most of its structure due to dental trauma, decay, or teeth grinding, it needs to be protected with a dental crown so it doesn’t become even more damaged. A dental crown is incredibly durable and can withstand chewing forces.
A dental crown is also often placed over a tooth that has received a root canal because it is in a weakened state or used in restorations like dental implants and bridges. To schedule an appointment for a dental crown with Dr. Michael Hanna, contact us at Santee Dental Group today.
With CEREC technology, dental crowns can sometimes be designed, created, and placed all in one appointment.
Dr. Michael Hanna will examine your teeth to look for signs of decay that may need to be treated first. X-rays may be taken to get a close look at the tooth’s roots.
We need to file down the same thickness of the dental crown from your tooth’s enamel for the dental crown to fit. We will administer local anesthesia to numb you and file down the enamel.
After your tooth has been prepped, impressions will be taken of your teeth and sent to the dental lab to create your dental crown. The impressions show how your bite fits together and serve as a guide for the exact shape, size, and shade of your teeth.
While you wait for your dental crowns to be fabricated for a few weeks, you will wear a temporary crown. Once we receive the official dental crown, we will check how it fits and if no adjustments need to be made, we will cement it to your tooth.
Dental crowns can be used for both restorative and cosmetic reasons.
Dental crowns can last for many years but their longevity depends on the materials they are made out of. Metals such as stainless steel or gold alloy crowns are the most durable and have the longest lifespan, while porcelain crowns have the shortest they are the most aesthetically pleasing.
Zirconia crowns blend in with real teeth for the most part but have a slightly more opaque appearance and are very durable. The lifespan of a dental crown ranges from 5-15 years depending on your oral hygiene, lifestyle, and wear and tear.
No, it is not painful to receive a dental crown. We administer a local anesthetic before we prepare the tooth for the crown and file down the enamel. Your mouth will be completely numb and the procedure is painless.
Porcelain, zirconia, or resin crowns are good alternatives to metal crowns for patients with allergies.
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