Smile like a king with the dental crown! The most prevalent dental problem that people in the US face is tooth decay or dental caries. Depending on the severity of caries, there are several dental treatments that the dentist can choose to restore the tooth, such as fillings, root canal therapy, and dental crowns. However, people often get skeptical when the dentist informs them that the tooth will need a cap (dental crown) after the end of the treatment to restore the tooth’s functionality and support. They worry that the dental crown will hinder their eating and compromise the health of the neighboring teeth. Therefore, to evade your dentistry-related fears and any old-school myths related to it, here is some information on “dental crowns” that you can learn to know the dental treatment and your options better!
Dental Crowns- What Are They?
Knowledge is power, so we have heard. With the plethora of information at your disposal, just a click away on the internet, patients are getting more competent and more aware of their dental health and its treatments. Yet still, many of us suffer from dental fear and anxiety that might become a massive obstacle in getting the proper dental care at the right time. When a procedure is explained to the patient that involves a dental crown, it triggers anxiety in them as they believe it is a really painful and invasive procedure, which is not the case, and we will tell you why. After numbing the patient, the dental crown, a protective tooth-like cap, is cemented over a damaged tooth that has been restored to enable the tooth to restore its shape, function, size, and appearance.
Why Do You Need a Dental Crown?
Apart from tooth decay, many reasons land you on the list of a suitable candidate for a dental crown. A healthy smile is a beautiful smile! Imagine having a crooked, discolored, or toothless smile. You would not want that, would you? You can be a suitable candidate for a dental crown for a plethora of reasons, such as:
*As a part of dental prostheses such as a dental bridge and dental implants
*To cover the discolored tooth that cannot be bleached or improved otherwise
*After the root canal therapy
*Decayed, misshapen, broken, chipped, cracked, or worn out a tooth that has lost its anatomy and structure and has been restored
Nevertheless, the tech-savvy and painless dental treatment now being curated is the ultimate solution to your dental problems and fears. The natural tooth-like dental crown not only makes your smile healthy but confident too because a smile is the best accessory you can wear!
What is a Dental Crown Made of?
A dental crown is made up of different materials ranging from metal to porcelain depending on the location and tooth size it needs to be placed on. While choosing the material for your crown, the dentist will consider factors such as:
*The tooth’s location (anterior or posterior)
*The amount of tooth that will be visible when you smile
*Height of the tooth in its relation to gum tissue
*Keeping in mind to restore the tooth’s function
*Amount of natural tooth remaining
*Color and health of the neighboring teeth
After considering the factors, the dentist can opt for the following:
For the anterior teeth:
Ceramic
Porcelain
Composite resin
Zirconia
For the posterior teeth:
Metal
Zirconia
Combination of materials
What are the Types of Dental Crowns?
Did you say crown? Because for a dentist, the patient is no less than a king or queen! However, what we meant were the dental crowns. Apart from the different materials they are made of, the dental crown has various types that serve other purposes per the patient’s tooth and time’s needs!
Temporary dental crown: It means what it says! A dental crown may take some time in the lab to be made. However, the restored tooth cannot go uncovered, as it’s fragile. The environment poses a threat to its survival, and if it is showing up in your smile, the aesthetics cannot be compromised. Hence, the dentist will give you a temporary crown until you get the permanent one!
Single-visit dental crown: Short on time or have your flight scheduled later that day? You can inform your dentist, and he will prepare a permanent dental crown as good as the one done in the lab, and place it on the same day, so you do not have to wait or worry about coming again.
Onlay or a three-fourth crown: At times, the tooth might have one of its walls intact and may not need full coverage. Hence the dentist will look for a partial three-fourth dental crown, what we call an onlay.
The Process of Getting a Dental Crown
It’s not as scary as you think! Patients often get edgy and challenging to handle when they are told that they need a dental prosthesis like a dental crown, bridge, or implant. Why? Because they believe that the process is painful, invasive and their tooth will never be the same again, they think dentists are scary because the treatments are scary! The best way to end the stigma related to dental treatments is to learn about the process through the internet or by visiting your dentist. To assure you that dental crowns are your damaged tooth’s best chance for survival, here is a sneak peek into the not-so-scary process of getting a dental crown that can be multi-visit or a single-visit procedure.
Single-visit dental crown procedure: After a thorough clinical and radiographic examination of the restored tooth, the dentist will decide the dental crown material according to the above factors. The dentist then gets down to work. The dental crown is prepared in-office (often under local anesthesia) on the tooth after filling the tooth, shaping its anatomy, and taking a dental impression. The procedure may take anywhere between 1 to 2 hours. Once the crown is prepared, it is “fixed” on the desired tooth using dental cement. The dentist will check the bite and ask you to perform some masticatory movements to ensure everything is okay.
Multi-visit dental crown procedure: The first step is the same as the single-visit procedure by having an exam. The dental crown is prepared in the lab instead of the dental office. However, the dentist cannot leave the restored tooth without a covering as it may damage it. Hence, after preparing the tooth and taking a dental impression of the tooth sent to the dental lab, a temporary crown is curated and placed on the tooth until the lifelike dental crown gets ready. The patient is then called again once the dental crown comes in, the temporary crown is removed, and the permanent one is cemented. Lastly, it is checked for any high or low bites to ensure perfection.
Dental Crowns in a Nutshell
Summing it all up, to maintain a healthy smile, it is essential to get the proper dental care at the right time. Now that you know better, do not get skeptical the next time your dentist says you need a dental crown because they are only trying to make your smile better and healthier! With a dental crown, smile your best smile because teeth are always in fashion.
