Over time our teeth begin to weaken and become more susceptible to problems such as decay, cracks, discoloration and others. If you feel your smile isn’t what it once was, crowns can help you recover your smile. If your dentist notices that a tooth is decayed or seems weakened/cracked a crown may be necessary to make sure that there are no additional problems with the tooth. In cases like this a filling or bonding will not be sufficient.
Crowns can be made from porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or a full gold crown. To maintain a natural look and feel a porcelain finished crown is best, as it can be matched to the shade of your other teeth. This will allow it to blend in and appear just like one of your natural teeth.
The process of installing a crown can take only ONE visit with using our new cad-cam system and digital impressions. The tooth is shaped and reduced 2mm, next a digital camera captures the tooth and surrounding tissue, eliminating the need for impression material in your mouth. This information is sent to the CEREC milling machine where your crown is milled right in front of you. After milling the crown is baked in a special oven that reaches 572 F. The crown is then polished and cemented onto your tooth. Eliminating the need for a temporary crown and multiple visits.
Crowns are durable and will usually last about 10-15 years. You should care for it as you would any of your other teeth with regular brushing and flossing. Cavities can still occur around a crown on the surface of the remaining tooth structure. Call us today if you would like to learn more about restorative dentistry .