A dental crown is also known as a cap, and it fits securely over your affected tooth. We generally advise dental crowns to our patients for many different reasons. For instance, if you have a severe cavity that cannot be repaired with a conventional dental filling, a dental crown can help restore your tooth.
Dental crowns are also great for patients who have teeth that are weakened through wear or tear and even injury. This can help keep the tooth strong and less vulnerable to breaking. Dental crowns can also help keep you from losing a tooth that has been damaged by severe infection, such as after a root canal procedure. We may also use a dental crown to help support a dental prosthesis like a bridge or a dental implant. Lastly, we may recommend a root canal as a cosmetic procedure to improve the appearance of your smile.
Dental crowns can generally be placed in two appointments. During the first appointment, we will start by thoroughly applying anesthetic to the site to help prevent you from experiencing any pain or discomfort during the procedure. We will then remove any decay from the tooth, if needed, and shape the tooth down to fit the crown. We will then take an impression of the tooth to create a mold to send to our lab.
Once we send it to the lab, it will generally take up to two weeks to return to us. In the meanwhile, we will place a temporary crown over the prepared site to help protect it. When your crown returns from the lab, we will carefully check to make sure it is a good fit. If any adjustments are necessary, we will make them then. We will then affix the crown to the prepared tooth using dental cement, then cure it using a special ultraviolet light.