Everything There is to Know About Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are highly versatile restorations used for several types of dental treatments. They are cap-like restorations placed over the natural teeth and secured in place using dental adhesives. Their natural aesthetics makes them highly preferred to restore severely damaged, chipped, cracked, excessively spaced, weak, or worn out teeth.

What are crowns made from?

Earlier, dental crowns were made from metals such as gold, silver, amalgam, or other metal alloys. Though they provide excellent strength and durability, their metallic appearance would ruin the aesthetics of the smile. Hence, crowns made from dental-grade ceramic or composite resin are being used widely in recent days. They offer excellent physical properties, as well as help you sport a beautiful smile as they are tooth-colored.

What are crowns used for?

The dentist will thoroughly diagnose your oral cavity and let you know how best your oral condition can be treated. The following oral conditions can be treated using dental crowns:

• Broken teeth due to external trauma
• Chipped teeth
• Naturally misshapen teeth
• Excessive gaps between adjacent teeth, or excessive crowding of the teeth
• Teeth that have worn out severely due to bruxism
• Weak teeth, especially after undergoing a root canal therapy

What are the advantages of choosing dental crowns?

• Ceramic crowns can be made to mimic the appearance of the natural teeth perfectly
• They offer very good strength and durability
• Oral functionality will be restored to normal
• The exposed root canal cavity of a tooth can be covered using crowns
• Crowns can make your misaligned teeth look perfectly straight
• They last for many years without any hassle, provided you care for them well.

How are crowns placed?

Getting a dental crown would require at least two visits to the dentist’s practice. During the initial visit, we will conduct a thorough diagnosis of the oral cavity and determine the severity of the condition. Your candidacy for the restoration will be decided, after which we will prepare you for the procedure. The teeth will be cleaned, and a thin layer of enamel will be removed to make space for the crown. A digital impression of the teeth will be taken using highly precise scans and used as a reference for fabricating the dental restoration. It will be sent to a dental laboratory, and the crown will be available within a few days.

During the next appointment, we will place the crown on the tooth and check for fit. If any minor changes are required, the dentist will make them. The surface of the tooth will be roughened using a suitable etching liquid so that the crown attaches well to it. With the help of dental adhesives, the crown will be bonded to the tooth, and the adhesive will be hardened using a curing light. A bite test will be conducted to ensure the restoration doesn’t alter your natural bite.

To know more about dental crowns and plan your treatment, please reach out to us on-call (925) 847-8790 or by scheduling an online appointment, and we’ll guide you further.