What happens during a dental crown procedure?

A dental crown is a general applied dental repair procedure. A dental crown procedure can strengthen your teeth and enhance their look. In the United States, around 14 million people receive the dental crown procedure.

What is a dental crown?

Your teeth might get damaged over time. Tooth damage can occur from various causes, including dental decay, traumas, or just usage over time. As a result, your teeth might change their shape or size. Dental crowns look like tooth-shaped "caps" that fit over your natural tooth. Furthermore, a dental crown restores the tooth's shape, size, strength, and look.

Dental crown procedure

To prepare for a dental crown, you will usually need to visit the dentist twice.

First visit

• Firstly, your dentist will evaluate the tooth that will get the crown on the initial visit. Secondly, your dentist will obtain X-rays of your tooth and the bone around it. Furthermore, if there is tooth decay, your dentist will perform a root canal treatment before your dental crown operation.
• Your dentist will then shape your tooth that needs a dental crown by cutting it down across the top and sides to fit the crown. The type of crown material you choose determines the quantity of tooth removal. All-metal dental crowns are thinner and need less tooth removal than all-porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. Moreover, your dentist will use a filling substance if your tooth is missing too much of its structure. The filling substance helps to build enough tooth structure for the crown to cover.
• Following the reshaping tooth, your dentist will create an imprint of the tooth that will receive the crown. Moreover, your dentist will also take impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth receiving the dental crown. This prevents the crown from affecting your bite.
• The imprints are sent to a dental laboratory for preparation. The crowns are made at a laboratory and returned to the dentist's office in two to three weeks. During your first office appointment, your dentist will create a temporary crown to cover and preserve the prepped tooth while you await the permanent crown.

Second visit

Your dentist will place a permanent crown during the second visit. First, your dentist will remove the temporary crown to fit the permanent crown. Afterward, your dentist may give you a local anesthetic to numb the tooth before cementing the new crown.

How long does a dental crown last?

Dental crowns usually last between five to fifteen years. However, the longevity of a crown depends on how well you follow oral hygiene procedures. Moreover, the life span of crowns also depends on certain mouth-related practices. Examples of mouth-related practices include:

• Grinding or clenching your teeth.
• Chewing hard foods.
• Biting your fingernails.
• Opening packages with your teeth

Conclusion

Crowns protect teeth that are weak or fractured. Similarly, they can also assist in enhancing the look of unevenly shaped or discolored teeth. Crowns can persist for many years if you maintain proper oral hygiene. Therefore, consult your dentist to improve your dental health.

Contact your Lafayette dentist, Dr. Massood Darvishzadeh, DDS at Lafayette Dental Group today to learn more about the dental crown.

Resource:

Dental Crowns, What Are They?

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