A dental crown is a cap made from porcelain, resin or metal that is put on a tooth. The crown is molded by a dentist into the proper tooth shape, and it covers the entire visible portion of the tooth from the gums up. Dental crowns restore a tooth’s correct and original shape, size and appearance.
When is a Crown Needed?
Crowns serve many purposes. They return a worn tooth to its original size and shape. They protect weak or broken teeth from breaking further. Crowns can cover teeth that are in bad shape or that have turned very yellow to improve an individual’s dental appearance.
Crowns can be used to secure a dental bridge or to support a tooth with a large filling. Crowns can even be used to cover and protect teeth to prevent the teeth from developing severe problems down the road, particularly for those individuals with poor oral hygiene.
How is a Crown Placed?
The dentist begins by taking an x-ray of the patient’s mouth to assess the damage and determine if a root canal is necessary. Then, the dentist will begin the procedure by filing down the top and sides of the tooth that will receive the crown. If a large portion of the tooth is missing, the dentist may need to add filler material in to support the crown.
Next, the dentist will use putty to make impressions of the patient’s teeth, including both the tooth that will receive the crown and the surrounding teeth. This helps ensure that the patient will not have bite-problems once the crown is placed.
The impressions are sent to a lab, where they will be used to form the crowns. Patients receive a temporary crown while they wait two-to-three weeks for their permanent crown to be manufactured.
Once the permanent crown arrives at the dentist’s office, the patient returns to the office to have the permanent crown placed. The dentist checks the color and shape of the crown. Then the dentist will make sure that it fits well in the patient’s mouth. Lastly, the patient receives anesthesia and the crown is cemented into place.
While getting a crown is a serious dental procedure, it is not an uncommon one. The dentists at Daxon Dentistry are experienced professionals who make the procedure as simple and painless as possible.
Source:
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-crowns