What Everyone Should Know About Dental Crowns
by Harold Coleman
There may come a point in your life where you need to get a dental crown to restore one of your teeth. However, this is not a simple procedure that you have done in a single session and forget about, such as filling a cavity. Here is some information that everyone should know about dental crowns.
Consultation
The process starts with getting a consultation from a dentist to figure out what is wrong with your tooth. They will take X-rays and identify the problem with the tooth in order to figure out the right approach for restoring it. For example, if a root canal is necessary, a crown will be used to protect the tooth afterward.
The dentist will also determine if there will be enough of the tooth left over after a procedure that a crown can be used. If you have a lot of decay in a tooth, the dentist may recommend that the tooth be pulled and replaced with a bridge. In this case, you would actually need two crowns on the surrounding teeth to support the bridge, and those teeth must be looked at as well to identify if they are good support teeth.
Process
The dental crown process starts with having an impression made of the tooth or teeth that will receive the crown. This impression is then taken to a lab where a crown is made to fit your existing tooth. Expect it to take a week or two for the crown to be made, and then you'll return to the office to have the crown placed on the tooth. Dental cement is used to secure the crown, and the dentist will verify that the crown aligns with your natural bite.
Aftercare
A crown will become a part of your tooth and needs to be brushed just as if it was a natural tooth to keep it clean. However, you must be aware of the foods that you eat when you have a dental crown. Really sticky candy could get stuck to the crown and cause it to become dislodged. Very hard foods, like chewing on ice or accidentally biting on a popcorn kernel, could cause the crown to break. If you are aware of what you're eating and keep the crown in mind, it should be enough to prevent it from breaking over the years.
Speak to your family dentist if you have questions about getting a dental crown.
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About Me
I have never liked my teeth. I had a lot of dental problems, including deep staining and oddly shaped teeth. Every tooth did not have the same shape, and some were rounded while others were more square. Not surprisingly, I never smiled in pictures and not even much in real life. This left people thinking I was mean before they even met me. My dentist told me my best bet to improve the look of my smile was a set of porcelain dental veneers. He said they could make all my teeth white and the same shape. I said I wanted them without any hesitation, and we scheduled my procedures. I love my new teeth, and they really did change my life. I created this blog to help other people living with teeth they don't like realize that they do have options that can improve their smiles and their lives.