When is a dental crown necessary?

Dental crowns help save broken or fractured teeth; play a large role in fixed prostheses; are often the final step to complete endodontic therapy; and can complete these and more in an aesthetically beautiful fashion. Once your crown has been cemented in place, the care needed is little more than what you do for all your teeth. Your dentist will demonstrate the best way to floss around a crowned tooth; and then you’re good to go.

Dental crowns can be made from different materials. The location of the tooth requiring treatment may dictate which material is chosen for your needs. However, porcelain crowns have gained in popularity due to their aesthetics; and improvements have shown they can be used throughout the mouth.

Preparing For Your Crown

Treatment with dental crowns involves a few dental visits and a couple of weeks. The tooth is prepared by filing down much of the visible part of the tooth leaving a base for the crown to be attached. Your dentist will take impressions which the lab will use to fabricate the crown.

Your dentist will provide any additional information that will allow the lab to make a crown that will match neighboring teeth in size, shape, and shade.

After that initial visit, you will have a temporary covering in place. It is there to protect the prepped area, but is not permanently bonded in place so you will want to avoid using that tooth to chew (especially sticky or crunching foods) so as not to dislodge it. If the temporary should come off, your dentist will replace it.

In about two weeks your final restoration will be ready. Your dentist will try it in for fit and comfort. If needed, minor adjustments can be made at this time. When perfect, the crown will be permanently cemented in place.

Crown Do’s and Don’ts

Once your crown is finished, you can eat or drink whatever you wish (you might give your crown about 24 hours before eating anything crunchy or sticky). But after that, you can consume whatever you have always enjoyed.

Do: Brush and floss daily using a fluoridated toothpaste. While your crown will not experience decay, the base of the tooth and gum tissue must still be given the appropriate care to prevent future problems.

Don’t: Chew on ice or hard objects.

Do: Visit our team at Bliss Dental for cleaning and dental exams regularly.