Dental Crowns

Dental Crowns

While your teeth are a small part of your body, they have many important roles. One of the most important jobs of your teeth is to help you bite and chew a wide variety of different foods. Your teeth are also responsible for proper speech and a confident smile. While your teeth are the strongest substance in your body, they can still suffer physical damage and decay. These issues can compromise the strength of the affected teeth, as well as your oral health. At Walker Dental, we can help to protect damaged teeth with crowns.

What Causes Tooth Damage?

There are many different issues that can cause damage to your teeth, compromising their strength and their health. These issues include:

  • Facial trauma, such as falling and hitting your face, getting injured while playing sports, or being involved in a car accident.
  • Biting down on something hard.
  • Decay. Decay can eat away at your teeth over time, weakening its strength and leaving it vulnerable to infections.

What is a Crown?

A crown is a dental restoration used to treat damaged teeth. It is essentially a cap for your damaged tooth, resembling the size and shape of the tooth it is protecting. The crown covers the entire visible surface of your damaged tooth encasing it to prevent further harm and protect the tooth from bacterial invasion. It also functions to restore strength to the tooth so that it can continue to perform normally.

Types of Crowns

There are a few different materials that crowns can be made from. These materials include:

  • Metal – Metal crowns are the oldest types of crowns. They are the strongest and are practically indestructible. Metal crowns also require the least amount of enamel removed from the affected teeth. However, metal crowns are silver or gold in color, meaning that they stand out against the rest of your teeth. This can present aesthetic concerns when treating teeth at the front of the mouth. Additionally, metal may not be ideal for those with allergies or sensitivities to the material.
  • Porcelain Fused to Metal (or PFM) – PFM crowns consist of a metal base that surrounds the tooth with incredible protection. They also have a porcelain coating, which provides a more aesthetic result. In some cases, however, the metal can be seen through the porcelain. Moreover, if you have allergies or sensitivities to metal, these crowns may not be the right solution for you.
  • Ceramic – Ceramic crowns are the most aesthetic option, and one of the most popular. They are made entirely of ceramic, a material that mimics the natural color of your teeth and their light reflection properties. While not as strong as metal, they are still fairly strong, and are perfect for treating teeth at the front of your mouth.

What to Expect During Crown Placement

Getting a crown requires two separate appointments. During your first appointment, we remove a portion of the enamel from the damaged tooth, a process that makes the tooth smaller. This is done so that your crown will fit properly in with the rest of your teeth. After preparing the tooth, an impression is taken, and a temporary restoration is placed.

Your impression is sent to our dental lab, where technicians use it to custom create your final crown. When the crown is completed, it is sent back. At your second appointment, we remove the temporary restoration and check your final crown to ensure proper fit and a natural bite. For ceramic crowns, we also make sure that it blends in with the rest of your smile. If everything looks good, we place the crown and secure it with special dental cement.

Benefits of a Crown

There are many benefits associated with a crown. These benefits include:

  • Protecting the tooth from further damage.
  • Preventing infections.
  • Strengthening the damaged tooth so that it can function normally.
  • Preventing the need for tooth extraction.
  • Protecting root canal treatment.

A crown can restore a damaged tooth, allowing it to function normally and preventing the need for an extraction. For more information on crowns, and to schedule your appointment, call Walker Dental Team today.