Our prosthodontists at Medhat Dental Excellence are experts in dental restorations, including dental crowns. In dentistry, crowns refer to the fixed prosthetic that is used to completely cover a damaged tooth.
This is why we sometimes describe crowns as dental caps.
As a dental restoration procedure, we recommend a crown when you visit us with a tooth that is badly damaged and cannot be restored with fillings, inlays, or onlays.
The remaining structures of the tooth are, however, still strong enough and can allow us to cap the tooth without having to extract it.
Crowns can be made from a variety of materials including porcelain, ceramic, resin, gold, or even silver. Porcelain is often preferred because it allows us to replicate the shade of your natural teeth when molding the crown.
When you visit our office, we always present the different options of materials and explain the pros and cons so you can make an informed choice.
Why Opt for A Crown?
Since the natural tooth has been weakened by damage from gum disease, cracks, or trauma from accidents, placing a dental crown on the tooth supports and strengthens it so it can serve its natural function without pressure.
Besides, covering the tooth shields it from further damage.
From an aesthetic point of view, crowns improve the appearance of teeth that have been discolored or cracked or badly worn out. If your teeth are misaligned or present gaps between them, we may recommend crowns to correct the alignment and improve the bite. All this improves your smile and overall appeal of your teeth and mouth.
Dental Crown Procedure
When you visit our office with a severely damaged tooth, we do a full examination and take x-rays to ensure that the tooth can still be saved from extraction and that it can support a crown.
Once we settle for capping the tooth, we prepare it for the crown by filing it to contour it to the desired shape.
Once the tooth is filled or filed to the preferred shape, we take an impression of both the tooth that is being restored and the adjacent teeth.
This serves as a model for our dentist working in the lab so that your crown can be made to fit the tooth and reproduce the shape and shade of the adjacent teeth.
We then place a temporary crown to protect the tooth until the next visit.
In a few days, your permanent crown will be ready, and we can then fit it to ensure that it sits well on the tooth. We remove the temporary crown and fit the permanent one to check bite alignment and guarantee that you are comfortable with your new tooth. If all these aspects are in order, then we proceed to bond the crown to the tooth.
If you are seeking to improve the appeal of your smile and the function of your teeth by capping a damaged tooth, visit us and talk to one of our experts about your options. You can book an appointment by calling us, Medhat Dental Excellence at (773) 774-4611 today!
