Dental crowns are an important part of dentistry; they create a natural, authentic look in place of your natural tooth’s crown. Dentists use crowns to address various dental problems such as tooth loss, extensive tooth decay, or a broken tooth.
If your dentist has told you you need a dental crown, you may have a lot of questions about the crown and the dental crown procedure. Here’s what you need to know about getting a dental crown.
What are Dental Crowns?
Crowns play a crucial part in dental restoration. Depending on the situation, a crown either replaces a normal tooth or encircles a preexisting one.
Essentially, a dental crown is a cap the dentist puts over your tooth or a dental implant and fixes into place. It looks and functions exactly like a normal tooth, but it’s artificial.
Different situations call for dental crowns. If a tooth is damaged extensively and further treatment, such as a filling, would compromise the tooth’s strength, the dentist may choose to use a crown instead. Dental crowns are a common option after an extensive root canal.
Similarly, if the tooth is broken or cracked, the dentist may choose to cap the tooth instead of leaving the damaged tooth exposed. When a tooth is cracked, it is weaker and vulnerable to further damage; a crown completely covers the compromised tooth, providing the strength it needs.
Sometimes this form of dentistry is used purely for aesthetic and cosmetic purposes. Crowns can be used to give the appearance of a beautiful smile with damaged, discoloured, or misshapen teeth. This shouldn’t be confused with veneers. Veneers are also used cosmetically but only cover the front of the tooth.
Dental crowns come in both permanent and temporary form. A dentist uses temporary crowns as part of larger procedures, such as dental implants. They act like a normal tooth, making it easier to chew, and preventing adjacent teeth from shifting. The temporary crown is used while you’re waiting for the next dental appointment when the dentist fits the permanent crown.
At Dental Spot, we want to give you the best treatment possible, so we use an on-site dental laboratory to produce your dental prosthetics. This allows us to create top-quality pieces in less time so you can have your crown fitted in a matter of hours instead of weeks.
What are Dental Crowns Made From?
Crowns need to be strong enough to withstand daily wear-and-tear and made from strong material. Permanent crowns can be made from porcelain, metals, ceramics, or resin.
Metal crowns typically use alloys and have a high percentage of platinum or gold. These crowns are incredibly strong, but their metallic colour can make them stand out.
Porcelain solves this problem. This material matches the colour of natural teeth and can be made entirely from porcelain or fused to metal, so you get the best of both strength and natural appearance.
Temporary crowns are made either from stainless steel or some kind of acrylic-based material. However, if you arrange your next appointment at Dental Spot, you won’t need to go through the inconvenience of a temporary crown. We’ll use our on-site laboratory to craft your crown in a fraction of the time and cost that it would take if we outsourced.
Understanding the Dental Crown Procedure
The idea of undergoing a procedure can conjure up a lot of stressful images. In reality, the dental crown procedure is simple, and you’ll have local anesthetic before any work so you shouldn’t feel discomfort or have an uncomfortable experience.
Most dentists perform the procedure in stages, spreading it out over a few individual appointments. However, this is influenced by the larger context and purpose of the crown. If the crown is part of a dental implant, the procedure will differ from repairing a broken tooth.
If the crown isn’t part of a dental implant, and the dentist isn’t removing the original tooth, the dentist will start by preparing the area. This may involve filling, filing, or removing portions of the tooth, and the dentist shapes the outer portion, so it’s the right size for the crown.
After this, the dentist makes an impression of the shaped tooth and the adjacent teeth so they can make a perfectly sized crown for your mouth. The skilled dental technicians use this to produce an exact match for your mouth, using the on-site dental lab to produce the final product.
Once your permanent crown is ready, you’re all set for the dentist to fit it. This will complete the dental crown procedure and involves fixing the permanent crown to the shaped tooth. Your dentist at Dental Spot uses dental cement to ensure a secure fit.
Need a Dental Crown?
At Dental Spot, we use the latest technology to make every step of your dental treatment easy and effective; this technology helps us produce exact dental crowns for your mouth. We use 3D printers to produce an exact match, so you get the right fit for your unique smile.
Arrange an appointment to speak to one of our friendly, experienced dentists by calling us on (02) 9158 6115 and begin your journey to better oral health.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
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