There are several different dental treatments to choose from when needed. Of course, you need to consider certain aspects such as price, what dental problem you are trying to fix, where the problem is located in your oral cavity, whether or not the treatment is conservative or invasive, what materials to choose, how long the treatment will take, how long the restoration will last, etc. Your dentist will help with any decisions you have to make when deciding upon a treatment plan. Treatments can include anything from dental bonding, contouring, or veneers, to a root canal or dental crown. In today’s blog we will discuss what dental crowns are used for.

The Purpose of a Dental Crown

Dental crowns are hollow pieces of ceramic that fit over an existing tooth, custom-designed to look and function like your natural tooth. Dental crowns serve many purposes. They can be used to protect and strengthen a compromised tooth. They can be used to change the shape, size, or color of a tooth. They are used with implant posts to replace a missing tooth, and they are used to support a fixed dental bridge. The major purpose of a crown is to save your original tooth if it is in healthy enough condition.

How a Dental Crown is Placed

If you are receiving crown treatment to protect and reinforce a tooth that has recently had root canal therapy, or to save a broken or fractured tooth (as opposed to placing a crown for an implant), crown placement consists of the following steps:

#1. During your first visit, your dentist will prepare the tooth in question by grinding away some tooth structure so the crown can fit over the tooth.

#2. Your dentist will take an impression of the prepared tooth to send to the dental lab where the crown will be custom-fabricated.

#3: During your second visit, your dentist will check the custom-fabricated crown for size, fit, color, and comfort, then permanently bond the crown over your natural tooth.