A crown might seem a bit daunting if you’ve never had one before.
Crowns, however, are a very common dental procedure that lead to excellent outcomes.
Sometimes a tooth will be cracked or broken and requires more than just a filling to repair it.
Sports injuries, falls or teeth that have weakened tooth structure due to large fillings can all be a cause. Also, when a cavity is very large, sometimes a crown is required.
This post covers how crowns restore damaged teeth. The team at Dental Laser Esthetics is very experienced at these.
What Types of Crowns are There?
There are different materials used for crowns.
Gold and porcelain crowns are both very commonly used and each have pros and cons.
Porcelain crowns blend beautifully with natural teeth because the lab can color match to your own teeth.
The nature of gold is that it is a relatively soft metal so wear on opposing teeth is lessened.
Stainless steel crowns are an option often used for children because it can be a one-visit application, as well as lower cost. Which is great on baby teeth that will eventually fall out.
A tooth crown will function like a ‘cap’ and cover the entire remaining tooth structure.
Getting a crown is usually a two appointment treatment.
At the first visit to the dentist, the tooth will be prepared by removing any necessary tooth structure. An imprint will be taken of the prepped tooth. The dentist will apply a temporary crown for your comfort and so you will be able to chew and eat properly until the permanent crown is applied.
The molded imprint of your tooth will be sent to the lab where they will fabricate the crown.
At the second appointment, you will return to the dentist office to have the temporary cap removed and the permanent crown cemented on.
How to Get your Dental Crown to Last
Crowns can last for a very long time.
Please care and clean your crown as you would your natural teeth including brushing, flossing and regular check ups.
As most dentists will recommend, don’t chew very sticky candy or caramels with your crowned tooth. Also, don’t chew ice. Many people don’t know that chewing ice can harm all teeth.
What To Do if Your Crown Feels Loose or Falls Out
It can feel very odd if your crown falls out! Try to keep it safe and don’t swallow it.
Contact your dentist as soon as you can to book an appointment. You should be OK for a few days – just don’t eat hard things on that side and follow the tips in “How to Get your Dental Crown to Last”, above.
You can rinse after meals with warm salt water to make sure no infection occurs.
Losing a crown isn’t a dental emergency unless you are bleeding or are in severe pain. Brush gently and normally.
Dental Crowns Burnaby, BC – Dental Laser Esthetics
Contact us for more information on how crowns restore damaged teeth – Dentist in South Burnaby.