Dental Crowns

• LUMINEERS®
• Deep Bleaching Procedure
• Porcelain Veneers
• Inlays/Onlays
• Porcelain Fillings
• Composite (Tooth-Colored) Fillings
• Dental Crowns
• Root Canal Therapy
• Dentures
• Dental Implants
• Implant Supported Bridges

 

Dental Crowns

A crown is a restoration that covers or caps a tooth, restoring it to its normal size and shape while strengthening it and improving its appearance. Dental Crowns are necessary when the tooth is broken down to the point where a filling won't be effective.

A crown can be used to:

• Hold a cracked tooth together to prevent further damage
• Cover and support a tooth with a large filling where only a little of the original tooth is left
• Attach a bridge
• Protect a weak tooth from breaking
• Restore a broken tooth
• Cover a discolored or misshapen tooth
• Cover a dental implant

What is the procedure like? 
Before we put in a crown, we first have to prepare your tooth.  We remove all of the decay and the weak or cracked parts of the tooth.  The inside of the tooth is sealed up and the rest of the tooth is rebuilt with a hard core material called a build up.  The tooth is now strong enough to hold a crown for a long time.  The tooth is then shaped so that the crown can slip onto the tooth and will fit securely and comfortably.  The area around your tooth will be numb throughout the procedure with local anesthetic.

After the tooth is prepared, we will make an impression of your teeth using a putty-like material.  This will be sent to a laboratory to make your custom crown which usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.  You will be given a temporary crown until your permanent crown is ready. Finally, the temporary crown is removed and the new permanent crown is cemented onto the tooth.

What are the different types of Dental Crowns available? 
There are several different methods of crown restorations, each using a different crown material.

• Gold crowns are made of a precious alloy of gold, platinum, pladium, silver, etc.  These Dental Crowns are made thinner compared to others to help preserve more tooth structure.  The main advantage to these crowns is that they can not chip or fracture so they would be more durable for a second molar tooth.

• Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns can be color matched to your teeth.  These crowns have a long track record of success and are the strongest of the porcelain crowns.  We use them primarily when decay is deep under the gum or the tooth is badly broken down.  The further forward in the mouth, we prefer to do an all porcelain crown.

• All porcelain crowns provide the best natural color of all the crowns.  These do not have any metal underneath and therefore look more lifelike.  Some of these are bonded in place while other types are very strong and can be cemented like a PFM.

What are the potential problems patients may experience after getting a crown?

Realize first that if a tooth needs a crown in order to restore it to good health, then the tooth is in bad shape or at risk of fracturing and there aren’t any other alternatives.  To answer the question, you may experience increased sensitivity immediately after the procedure particularly if the crowned tooth still has a nerve in it.  This sensitivity generally resolves after a few days, but in rare circumstances may last a few months.  If the bite on the crown is left a little too high, then this too can lead to sensitivity and can be quickly resolved with an adjustment.  If for some reason the tooth does not settle down, then this may be an indicator that the nerve, although without symptoms at the time, was not healthy and simply could not recover from the necessary procedure.

If the nerve is healthy and the crown fits correctly, then you should get many years of trouble free service from this restoration.

What problems could occur if I choose not to do the crown when recommended?

The answer here, of course, depends on the reason the crown was needed in the first place.  Let’s discuss some scenarios:

If there was a lot of decay or a large existing filling with decay underneath it, then after the decay and old filling is all cleaned out, there will likely be thin and unsupported parts of the tooth remaining.  If we tried to place a large oversized filling, then the thin sections of the tooth will probably crack or split off when the tooth is under function.  These parts of the tooth need to be surrounded and held together by the crown.

If you are told you need a crown due to cracks on the tooth, these cracks can continue to grow into the deeper parts of the tooth or down the root.  This can ultimately lead to a bone defect, an infection, or loss of the tooth.  Often, a section of the tooth will split off.  If the break is shallow, then it can still be easily repaired with a crown.  It can, however, break all the way to the bone and possibly expose the nerve.  The treatment may then require gum surgery and a root canal in addition to a crown.  A cracked tooth may or may not be symptomatic and can break without warning.

So if your Doctor recommends a crown due to cracks on the tooth, consider the risk may be big if you don’t follow through.

If you want further information about Dental Crowns or need a check-up to be sure your teeth are healthy, contact Dr. Clifford today.

To find out if Dental Crowns are the right option for you, contact us today.

 

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