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Restore & Protect Damaged Teeth
Dental Crowns
If you have a damaged or decayed tooth, Dr. Toni Engram is here to help. At Flourish Dental Boutique in Richardson, we specialize in restorative dentistry. We can cover up and protect your tooth with a high-quality dental crown, restoring your bite and smile and preventing further damage to your teeth. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our holistic dental office
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What Are Dental Crowns?
Understanding the Basics
Essentially, a dental crown is a false tooth that’s designed to completely cover and protect your tooth after it’s been damaged. This is why crowns are sometimes called caps, because they literally cap and protect your tooth, all the way down to the gum line.
To place a crown, your tooth is first trimmed, and then the crown is built to fit over the remaining enamel. The crown protects your natural tooth structure from any further damage or decay. It also restores your smile and the strength and function of your bite.
Crowns are often used to treat large cavities that are too extensive for fillings, or to restore teeth after root canal therapy. Dental crowns are also commonly used to repair cracked, broken, and damaged teeth after an oral injury.
What to Expect
The Crown Placement Procedure
The process of having a dental crown built and placed usually takes two appointments at our office over a period of about 2-3 weeks. First, you’ll come in for your initial crown preparation appointment.
Dr. Engram will begin by cleaning and numbing your mouth. You can also be sedated during your appointment, if you wish. Next, she will trim away any decayed or damaged enamel from the tooth that will be treated and shape it into a strong, stable anchor to which your crown can be attached. Once your tooth has been trimmed, Dr. Engram will take impressions of your teeth using dental putty.
Your dental impressions will then be sent to a third-party dental lab, where your porcelain crown will be manufactured. This process takes a few weeks, so Dr. Engram will place a temporary crown to protect your tooth in the meantime.
Once your crown has arrived at our office, you’ll come back for a follow-up appointment. Dr. Engram will check the fit of the crown to ensure it’s perfect, then, it will be bonded in place permanently with dental cement.
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How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?
Caring for Your Crown
Your dental crown will be built out of a tooth-like, porcelain material that is very strong and durable. With proper care, it will last you 15+ years.
The best way to make sure your dental crown lasts a long time is to maintain good oral hygiene habits. Make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day, and floss your teeth once every day. It is also important to continue to see Dr. Toni Engram every six months for a teeth cleaning and oral exam. These simple steps will ensure a long lifespan for your new crown.
what types of
dental crowns are available?
There are a few different types of dental crowns that are commonly used at the dentist. At our office, Dr. Toni Engram prefers to primarily use porcelain crowns that are built by an outside dental lab.
This type of crown is made by an outside dental lab, and is designed to fit perfectly over your tooth and cover it up with a natural, tooth-like prosthetic. Porcelain crowns use a material that looks exactly like natural enamel, so this type of crown provides the best cosmetic results. This type of crown is particularly well-suited to restoring front teeth.
Metal crowns are also an option. Gold crowns are extremely durable and long-lasting, because the gold material is extremely non-reactive, and it’s strong enough to hold up to the chewing forces of your teeth, yet pliable enough that it will not crack or bend. However, gold crowns have an unnatural appearance, so they are usually only used for rear teeth.
Stainless steel crowns are also an option, and are usually used for pediatric patients who have decayed or damaged baby teeth. This is because they are very cost-effective, so they’re a good choice when restoring teeth that will fall out naturally in the future.
Resin crowns are also available, but are not usually used as permanent crowns. This type of crown is made of a special type of plastic and looks quite natural, but is not extremely durable. For this reason, resin crowns are typically used as “temporary” crowns to restore and protect your tooth until a permanent metal or porcelain crown has been built for your tooth.
how do I prepare to
receive dental crowns?
You won’t need to do anything special for your appointment, unless you’re being sedated. If you are being sedated with any method other than nitrous oxide (laughing gas), Dr. Engram will give you instructions about fasting (not eating) before your procedure, and you will also need to bring someone with you to your appointment to take you home.
You will not be able to drive after being sedated with deep sedation, so plan accordingly, and make sure to clear your schedule and take time off of work, if necessary.
After your initial preparation appointment, you will get a temporary resin crown to cover up and protect your tooth. Dr. Engram will give you instructions on how to care for this crown while you wear it for 2-3 weeks, like avoiding extremely tough and sticky foods. Make sure to follow these instructions while wearing your temporary crown to protect it until your final appointment at Flourish Dental Boutique.
How Do I care
for my dental crowns?
Once your permanent dental crown has been placed, all you’ll need to do is treat it just like a normal tooth. You will need to brush and floss normally to make sure the crown and the tooth stay in great shape. That’s it!
In addition, you should come to Flourish Dental Boutique every 6 months for a teeth cleaning and oral exam from Dr. Engram. This ensures that your crowns and natural teeth are both healthy, strong, and free from decay.
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