Need a crown? We are here to help!
If your tooth is damaged but not lost, dental crowns are a fast and beautiful solution to restore your smile. A crown (also called a cap) can be used to cover the damaged, broken, or cracked tooth or teeth that are weakened by decay. Modern crowns not only enhance the appearance of the tooth but also help stop the progressive weakening of the tooth. With a crown, your teeth’s natural function is restored, and we can effectively prevent possible tooth loss.
Porcelain dental crowns can correct the colour of the restored tooth, remove gaps, and fix misshapen teeth. At Floss & Gloss Dental, we understand the importance of your smile and how it impacts your confidence. Our caring team of dental professionals will work with you to help you achieve the healthy, natural-looking smile you’ve always wanted! We have many crown options available at Floss & Gloss Dental. Call us today to book an appointment.
Crowns can be made of different kinds of metals, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal and sit atop an existing tooth, normally if the tooth has been damaged. They are really strong and last for about 10 years on average, if you take good care of them. Brush and floss your crown, just like you clean your natural teeth.
Your dentist will take an impression (or mould) of your tooth to fit a temporary crown which protects your tooth until the final, permanent crown is ready. Temporary crowns may not have the same shape and colour as permanent ones.
Your dentist will ‘freeze’ (called a local anaesthetic) your jaw area. He or she then prepares the tooth by filing down the surface layer (approximately 1-2 mm) to make room for the crown.
Another impression (or mould) is taken of the filed-down tooth and nearby teeth. Then the temporary crown is temporarily cemented down over your tooth and you are re-appointed to come back a week or two later.
This mould is sent to a dental lab, where your permanent crown is custom-made. The mould of your tooth is used to make a model. A restoration that is the same size and shape as your tooth is built based on the model. Your dentist may ask you to visit the dental lab so that they can take a “custom shade” of your tooth (i.e. make the colour match).
On your next visit, your dentist takes off the temporary crown and puts on the permanent one. Then he or she checks to make sure the crown is the right fit, shape, and colour. If it is, your dentist permanently cements the crown into place. Your tooth will look and work very much like a natural tooth.
These are the steps dentists most often follow in making a crown, but your tooth may need special care. Prior to placing a crown you may need orthodontic or gum treatment. It may take more than two visits to your dentist or your visits may last longer.
On average it takes about 45 minutes divided between 2 sittings. The involves getting you sufficiently numbed. Few minutes for Prepping and taking a mold of the tooth. You go home with a temporary crown. Final appointment to cement the permanent crown will take about 15 minutes.
I sometimes take bit more time to ensure the bite is just right. Nowadays with procedures like Cerec, the whole procedure can be done in a single sitting.
Dental crowns can last decades. Crowns don’t decay, but the underlying teeth can. Hence good oral care is essential in ensuring the longevity of the restoration.
Another important factor is the bite force especially if the patient is a grinder(this has to be controlled).
If the underlying teeth is in reasonable condition and able to be shaped without too much tooth loss, then the life expectancy of the crown can be very good.
Its also interesting to see that a lot of insurance companies do pay for replacement crowns after as long as 8 years. Since these companies definitely use vast accumulation of patient data to make reasonable denials of payments, we can maybe ascertain some notion on how long they usually last. Very long we would say, even lifetime for some.
We administer Novocaine injection, after which the patient does not feel any pain while the tooth is reshaped. A little bit of pressure may be felt but no pain.
There are gold crowns, all ceramic, porcelain fused to metal and zirconium crowns. In our opinion all ceramic and ‘porcelain fused to metal’ offer good balance between cost and quality. Zirconium is the hardest and also the most expensive.
Yes, the crown can be made larger than the tooth it replaces. However, it has to be done with careful consideration because if it’s too big, it can affect your bite and cause problems to other teeth and gums too.
In short, it can be done and we do recommend it under certain situations.
Not really. If the crowns are properly chosen and fit well to ensure good bite, then your gum recession shouldn’t be any greater than if you did not have crowns.
Yes, dental crowns can look as good and even better than natural tooth. One can eat normally.
