Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are a versatile dental solution. They can be used to restore damaged teeth or beautify unsightly teeth. Also known as a cap, tooth crowns are customized for each person’s smile for a natural-looking solution. At Ingleside Family Dental in Ladson, South Carolina, we use dental crowns to create amazing smile makeovers and restore the health, function, and appearance of a tooth.
Problems Corrected By Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are designed to fit over existing tooth structure. Your family dentist in Ladson may recommend a tooth crown for any number of oral health concerns, including the following:
- Damaged tooth: When a tooth is chipped or cracked, it is easy for bacteria and food particles to penetrate the tooth and cause decay and infection. A dental crown can protect the entire tooth.
- Weak tooth: If a tooth is fragile and susceptible to further deterioration, the crown will prevent further decay or breaks.
- Decayed tooth: When a cavity is so large there is not enough enamel remaining to support a filling, a crown covers the problem tooth completely.
- Discolored tooth: One stained tooth can ruin the entire appearance of your smile. When the discoloration cannot be altered by professional teeth whitening, a crown covers things up.
- Infected tooth: A tooth that must undergo root canal therapy will need a crown afterward to restore the tooth to proper shape and size and protect it from additional problems.
- Misshapen tooth: If a tooth stands out because it doesn’t look like its neighbors, a customized crown will help it blend in.
- Missing tooth: Tooth crowns are used to anchor a dental bridge to replace missing teeth. Crowns can also be attached to dental implants and partial dentures.
Every dental crown is personalized in color, shape, and size so it looks just like a natural tooth. The goal with any tooth crown procedure is to restore and beautify the tooth in question, allowing it to fit in seamlessly with the rest of your smile.
The Dental Crown Procedure
A dental crown is usually completed over two visits to your Ladson family dentist. Once it has been determined that you are a good candidate for a crown, here is what you can expect from the procedure:
- Preparation: At your first dental visit, the tooth must be prepared to receive the dental crown. This can involve the removal of any decay and old restorative materials, if present, or it may only require the whittling down of the tooth to make room for the crown to fit snugly. This step is usually done with the mouth numbed so you do not feel any discomfort. You will be fitted with a temporary crown that allows you to speak and eat normally while you wait for the permanent restoration.
- Development: Your tooth crown is custom-made in a dental lab just for your mouth, and this usually takes a few weeks. Impressions are taken during the preparation visit and are submitted to the lab along with instructions about the color of your crown. Tooth crowns, depending on your budget, preference, and dentist’s recommendation, can be made from porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, ceramic zirconia, or metal.
- Placement:At your second dental visit, the temporary restoration is removed and the new crown is put in place. Your dentist will check the fit and color of the crown and adjust it as needed before bonding it permanently in place. The crown will be polished so it blends in with the rest of your smile.
Get A Dental Crown In Ladson
Tooth crowns not only strengthen the tooth on which they are placed, but they make neighboring teeth that much tougher and offer them some insurance from developing their own problems. Crowns are a minimally invasive procedure that can make a tooth look, feel, and function just like normal.
Do you have a problem with your teeth or suspect that you need a dental restoration? Schedule an appointment with Ingleside Family Dental in Ladson to learn more about dental crowns and whether this is the right solution for your smile.
