Dental Crown Procedure
What is a dental crown? Is a dental crown procedure painful? Restoration dental services include dental crown work to protect the tooth. Our dentists at Chilliwack Family Dentistry specialize in crown work.
Crowns
A dental crown (also known as a ‘cap’) covers the entire tooth surface and restores the tooth to its original shape and size. A crown is used to protect and strengthen the tooth structure when it cannot be restored with fillings or other restoration work.
There are different types of crowns. Although there are several types of crowns (metal, porcelain, composite), porcelain are the most popular because they look most natural and can be made to match the colour, shape and size of your existing tooth. Crowns are durable and will last for a number of years however they may need to be replaced through wear.
When do you need a Dental Crown Procedure?
The most common reasons for a crown include:
- If you have a broken or fractured tooth.
- If you need cosmetic enhancement (for example, due to pitting or discoloration).
- If your tooth is too decayed to restore with a filling.
- If you have a fractured filling in your tooth.
- If the size of your filling is large and if it leaves very little structure, then a crown will help to protect the tooth.
- If your tooth needs to have, or has, a root canal, it is typically crowned to protect the tooth and strengthen it.
The Procedure
- A dental crown procedure usually needs two appointments.
- At your first appointment, we will take a mold or impression of your tooth – we need that to create your custom dental crown. A mold will also be used to create the temporary crown that you will receive at this first appointment. The temporary crown will be worn for about two weeks while your new permanent crown is built by the dental laboratory.
- We will likely provide a local anesthetic to ‘freeze’ the area. Then we prepare the tooth by removing decay and shaping the surface to fit the new crown. The temporary crown will be placed over the re-shaped tooth with temporary cement and your bite will be checked (and adjusted if necessary) to ensure that your alignment is correct.
- At the second appointment, the temporary crown is removed, the tooth cleaned, and your new crown will be placed. We will ensure that the spacing between the teeth is accurate and that your bite is correctly aligned.
We will provide you with dental crown care instructions and ensure that we check your new crown at your next dental appointment.