When you have a broken or damaged tooth, there are several solutions that a dentist can offer you, depending on the situation. One of these is a Crown.
A crown is a specially made dental prosthetic that is used to cover the existing structure of your tooth. When you have a decayed, broken or damaged tooth, this can often mean that the structure of your tooth is weakened. A crown is bonded to the existing tooth structure and appears just like another tooth.
When would you need one? Why they are better?
Your dental specialist will recommend a crown if too much of the existing tooth is compromised and other treatments would not suffice. The main benefit of crowns is they are super strong and protect the remaining tooth. For example, teeth that have had large fillings (cavity treatments) may in time fracture as a large percentage of the tooth is actually filling. Rather than risk the tooth fracturing or breaking altogether (and leaving you with fewer teeth and more of a problem), your dentist may recommend that you prepare the existing tooth to have a crown placed upon it.
What is the procedure for getting a crown?
Your dentist will first prepare the tooth to be crowned to ensure that only viable, strong and healthy tooth remains. Your dentist will then create an impression of the tooth and surrounding teeth. Your crown will be created from this impression.
How are they made? (the old but most common way)
Traditionally, dentists would take an impression of the tooth and place a temporary crown over it (which protects the tooth) until a permanent crown is fashioned. This procedure is often outsourced and takes between 1-2 weeks before the permanent crown is available. When your permanent crown is ready, you will return to the dentist and have your temporary crown replaced with the new permanent one.
The new way to create a crown (the best and quickest way)
With the advent of digital dentistry, crown creation has been revolutionized. At Proud Smile, once we have prepared the tooth that will be crowned, we take a ‘digital impression’ (as opposed to messy and sticky moulds of the past) and create a perfectly fitting crown using a process called Computer Animated Manufacturing. Not only are these crowns better fitting than ever before, but this process can be done on the same day! There is no need for a temporary crown that will have to be replaced and no need for you to have to return in two weeks. To read more about this process, check out our article ( insert a link to the previous article on Digital Dentistry)
Will it look good?
Your crown will look great. Using colour coding, we will ensure that it has the same colouration as the surrounding teeth. Computer animated dentistry and manufacturing mean that we can create crowns that look super realistic and fit perfectly into your mouth.
How long will a crown last?
Crowns are super strong and built to last. With proper care (brushing, flossing and regular dental visits), your crown can last between ten and fifteen years!
