How Do They Help?
Crowns are important to restoring and maintaining the structural integrity of your mouth and bite. When a tooth decays or breaks it can leave a gap in your bite. That gap can create further problems when it interferes with your bite or when other teeth migrate into the gap created. By filling the gap, crowns can restore your mouth’s proper structure to prevent these further problems. Crowns also restore the appearance of your mouth, as they are mostly indistinguishable from natural teeth and create a new look overall.
Crowns restore the shape, strength, functionality, and appearance of a damaged tooth. After you have one placed, your tooth will be restored to strength and you will be able to use your tooth to chew again without risking damage to what’s underneath it. Crowns protect the vulnerable part of your teeth by physically holding it together and shielding it from damage.
Crowns are not the answer for every tooth problem, but they might be the answer to the problem you are having. If you think you need a crown, or you’re having any other kind of tooth problem, contact the team at Couture Dentistry. Whatever your dental needs, our experienced staff focused on innovation are prepared to offer you with the best solutions.
How Do They Work?
Crowns fit over the top of a tooth and protect what’s underneath it. They’re cemented in place and act as a new top layer for the tooth while holding it together and keeping it from breaking apart. Crowns are constructed of very resilient and durable materials and can restore a tooth to original strength. They’re designed to endure chewing and the wear and tear that has on your bite just as effectively as the rest of your teeth. Think of a crown as a cover for the top of your tooth. After we cement a crown to your damaged tooth, the two essentially become one.
How Are They Installed?
We will first apply an anesthetic to numb the tooth receiving the crown and the surrounding gum tissue. Then, we’ll shape your tooth in preparation for the crown, creating enough room for the crown to be placed and a great foundation for it. If there’s not enough of the tooth left to support the crown on its own, a crown buildup may be added to create a solid foundation on which the crown would be applied to. We will then make an impression of the tooth so that the crown can be properly shaped for perfect placement.
It can take up to three weeks to create a crown after an impression is made. For actual timing that your crown will take we will take you through all of the steps and timing for your procedure on your first visit. We will create and install a temporary crown during your initial visit so that your tooth is protected while your permanent crown is being created. When the permanent crown is ready, we’ll have you back to our comfortable offices to place it. The temporary crown will be removed, and the permanent crown will be adjusted to properly fit your tooth and bite. We will affix the crown to the tooth and then you’ll be on your way with your smile back in great shape!
Preparing a Crown Tooth
Two visits will typically be required for preparing a crown tooth and creating and placing a crown. The first step involves examining and preparing the tooth. The second visit will be when your permanent crown is placed.
During your first visit in preparation for a crown, we will take a few X-rays to check the roots of the tooth receiving the crown and the surrounding bone. If the tooth has extensive decay or if there is a risk of infection or injury to the tooth’s pulp, a root canal treatment may first be required. Our experience ensures that the correct plan and procedures are done for you.
Before the process of making your crown begins, we will numb the tooth and the gum tissue around the tooth. Next, the tooth receiving the crown will be filed down on all sides of the tooth to make room for the crown. The amount removed depends on the type of crown that is used for our specific situation. If a large area of your tooth is missing due to damage or decay, we may use a filling material to build up the tooth surface to properly support the crown.
After reshaping the tooth, we will make an impression of the tooth to receive the crown. Impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth to receive the dental crown will also be made to make sure that the crown will not affect your bite. The impressions or scans are reviewed and your crown is crafted within three weeks of taking your impressions. If the crown is made of porcelain, we will select the shade that most closely matches the color of the neighboring teeth or matches the color you want your other teeth to be when you also take advantage of whitening treatments we offer. During the first office visit we will make a temporary crown to cover and protect the tooth while the permanent crown is being made. Temporary crowns usually are made of acrylic and held in place using a cement that is not as strong as the cement used with a permanent crown.
During your second visit we will first remove the temporary crown and then check the fit and color to ensure precise placement and fit of the permanent crown. If everything is up to our standard, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the tooth and the new crown is put into place permanently.