Dental Crowns

By admin on February 18, 2010

What are Dental Crowns For?

Dental crowns are a method used to encase the entire tooth in a molding. It is a procedure that is typically preformed when a tooth has a particularly large crack or other form of damage. The crowns, or caps, can be made from various materials, including metal, porcelain, or plastic. Porcelain crowns are most desirable because of their durability, but they are also the most expensive of materials.

If your tooth has suffered a large amount of damage that could result in an infection, your dentist will recommend putting a crown over that tooth. It is a preventative measure that could result in a root canal if avoided for a long period of time. Most crowns can last up to 10 years, making the procedure very much worth the time, effort, and money.

The Procedure:

Step 1: The tooth is first cleaned thoroughly by your dentist. Any bacteria or decay around the tooth will be removed with an electric instrument, if necessary.

Step 2: The dentist may have to grind the tooth into the shape of a taper, or cone. Doing this will ensure that the new crown will fit tightly around the existing tooth without leaving any large gaps.

Step 3: A special putty is put around the tooth and left there for a few minutes. It will eventually harden and be removed by the dentist. The result is a mold of the tooth which the dentist can send to a lab in order to get a custom permanent crown made.

Step 4: The tooth is fitted with a temporary crown until the next appointment

Step 5: A few weeks later, the new permanent crown will ship to the dentist’s office. The temporary crown will be replaced with the permanent one at this time.

Step 6: Once the temporary crown is removed, the tooth is scored a few times with an electric tool to provide the new crown with something to grab hold of. The cap will be adhered to the tooth with a special type of dental cement.

During the entire procedure, an anesthetic is usually given to subside pain.

Recovery:

Recovery time is very minimal, with only a few minor aches and pains. You can usually continue eating food just as you would have before the procedure within a week. Sometimes eating and chewing with the new cap can take some getting used to, but after awhile you won’t even notice the difference.

Care:

Your crowned tooth should be regarded just as any other tooth in your mouth in terms of hygiene. You should continue to brush it along with the rest of your teeth.