Maintaining healthy teeth and gums is essential for your smile and overall health. Issues such as decay and tooth damage need to be corrected. Left untreated, an infection may occur which usually leads to extensive dental work or tooth loss. Fortunately, routine dental exams detect issues like decay and tooth damage early on. Additionally, patients with these issues are often recommended for a dental crown.
Learn more about dental crowns below and contact Family Dental of Westborough today.
What is a dental crown?
Having a complete set of healthy and strong teeth adds on to your quality of life and also helps you feel good about yourself. If you are having dental issues such as a decayed or broken tooth, a dental crown can be just what you need to improve your natural tooth for protection, chewing support and aesthetic purposes.
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” fixed on top of a tooth to cover it and retain its shape, strength, size, as well as enhance its appearance.
Dental crowns are usually needed when the ongoing health of a tooth is threatened by a large cavity. Also, other dental issues that may require a dental crown include severe tooth discoloration, weakened or damaged tooth, or after a root canal procedure.
In brief, dental crowns can be made from different materials that are resilient and durable to endure chewing, biting, and speaking. They including porcelain, resin, ceramic and stainless steel. The crowns used for cosmetic purposes are usually made of porcelain or ceramic. Each material has its own pros and cons. Therefore, your dentist will discuss your options.
The procedure
A dental crown installing procedure normally takes 2 separate dentist visits. On the first visit, your tooth will be examined to ensure it can support a crown, and then it is filed down to prepare for the crown. On the other hand, if your tooth is gravely damaged or broken, it may require filing it to enlarge it enough to receive the crown properly. After the tooth is filed or filled to the required shape, an impression is made so that the permanent crown can be made appropriately. During this first visit, you will have a temporary crown fitted before the permanent one is ready.
On the second visit, usually about two weeks later, the permanent crown will be ready. Your dentist will permanently fix it onto the tooth. He will also check that your bite is not affected. Additionally, he will advise you on how to best care for your crown.
Advantages of dental crowns
Dental crowns offer an adequate solution to various dental problems including:
- Supporting a damaged tooth by decay
- Holding together a severely cracked or broken tooth
- Protecting a worn tooth from further damage
- Protecting a tooth after root canal procedure
- Covering a dental implant
- Improving a tooth appearance by changing its color or shape
Dental crowns are also a good long-lasting option since they are durable and can last for at least 5-15 years. Additionally, treatment using dental crowns has a high success rate when compared to other dental restoration methods.
Learn More
Contact Family Dental of Westborough to learn about dental crowns and other restorative procedures. Call (508) 366-7450. New patients are always welcome!