Dental crowns are caps that cover broken, decayed, or damaged teeth. They are often a dentist's best tool when repairing a tooth that is too damaged for a filling but has enough remaining structure to save.
If you have a damaged tooth and want to receive a crown rather than have it extracted and replaced, you may worry that you do not have enough natural tooth structure left to save it. Your family dentist has numerous options for restoring your tooth and placing a new crown.
How Dental Crowns Work
Crowns restore teeth that have suffered severe damage and decay. A dental crown fits tightly over a prepared natural tooth, restoring chewing function and protecting it from food, saliva, and contaminants. Most crowns blend in with your smile, precisely matching your natural teeth.
Methods to Place Crowns on Damaged Teeth
Post-and-Core Foundation
After a root canal, the tooth may not have enough structure to support a crown. In this case, the dentist may place a post inside the tooth to hold the crown.
Composite Resin
The same resin material used in tooth-colored fillings can also build up teeth to the point where they can receive a crown.
Crown Lengthening
Dentists sometimes use this procedure to expose more of the tooth surface by recontouring the gum line.
The Same-Day Dental Crown Process
Getting a CEREC® crown is a comfortable, simple procedure. The CEREC machine can produce a crown in-office in about half an hour, perhaps more if additional steps are needed.
The first step in placing a CEREC crown is administering local anesthesia to prevent any discomfort. No anesthetic may be necessary if the tooth has already undergone a root canal.
Next, the dentist removes damaged and decayed areas. They shape the tooth to make the best base for the crown, adding or removing material as needed.
The dentist takes digital impressions of the tooth and the surrounding area using an intraoral scanner. The handheld scanner moves comfortably around the patient's mouth, bringing a series of images that the CEREC software will build into a 3-D model.
The dentist designs the crown using CEREC software and sends the data to the milling machine to start making it.
When the crown is ready and fit-tested, the dentist will cement it into place. After just one appointment, you can leave the office with a beautiful, sturdy ceramic crown.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Crowns
How long do dental crowns last?
Crowns generally last 10 to 15 years, though they can last for decades with exceptional oral care. Same-day CEREC crowns are equal to or better than traditional crowns.
Does a crown hurt more than a filling?
Getting a crown is a pain-free process thanks to local anesthesia. When comparing crowns and fillings, the appointments are very similar in comfort.
Call Suwanee Family Dentistry
If you feel concerned that you may have to have a damaged tooth extracted, you should know that we will do everything we can to save your tooth. However, you have many tooth replacement options if we recommend an extraction. We will review all the options once we evaluate your individual situation.
Please call our Suwanee, GA, office at 678-714-2380 to schedule your appointment today.