RSSWhat are dental crowns?
May 05
Dental Jobs dental crowns, strengthen Comments Off
A dental crown, or a cap as they are often known colloquially, is a treatment to protect damaged, decayed and cracked teeth from further harm. Having a crown fitted is one of the most common dental jobs, but it can still be daunting for many people. However, crowns can prevent you from a lot of further pain and dental work. When one of your teeth has been significantly weakened and is no longer fully functional, a crown fits over the top of it to look and function exactly as your natural tooth should. Most crowns are made of porcelain, a metal alloy, ceramic or gold. Obviously you get a more natural result with porcelain and ceramic.
When would you need one?
Crowns are necessary when your broken tooth has decayed too far for a filling to be effective. They are also necessary if the tooth has been fractured too badly for other techniques to work. Often after having root canal treatment it is necessary to have a crown to further strengthen the tooth, and the same is true of implant and bridge treatments. For purely aesthetic reasons a crown is rarely a good first choice, so ask your dentist about other options such as veneers. If you do need a crown, all London dentists should be able to fit you with one, and since the procedure is done under local anaesthetic it should be relatively painless.
What’s the procedure?
After a consultation with your dentist, your teeth will be cleaned thoroughly and you will be given a local anaesthetic. Your tooth will then be reshaped using a burr (a type of dental drill). The ideal shape for a crown to fit over is a taper. The dentist will then take impressions of the newly shaped tooth, from which the crown will be moulded so that it is a perfect fit for your tooth. Making the crown can take a few weeks, so the dentist should fit you with a temporary crown in the meantime to protect the tooth. Once the permanent crown is made, it is simply cemented over your natural tooth. The result should be a comfortable, fully functional and hopefully better looking tooth.