Dental Crowns in East Amherst | The Ivory Dental Co.

What Are Dental Crowns?

If you have a damaged, decayed, broken, or weak tooth, a dental crown will offer protection on all surfaces of the tooth so it doesn’t become more damaged from using it to chew. A crown can also cover aesthetic imperfections like awkwardly shaped or discolored teeth.

Crowns are durable protective caps made of strong and long-lasting materials to restore the structure, function, and aesthetics of your tooth. If a tooth has a large filling, then it is vulnerable to breakage because most of the natural tooth structure is missing.

Likewise, if you have received a root canal treatment, this invasive treatment will cure your infection, but your tooth will be left in a weakened state. The rear molars need to be protected and given additional durability because they need to withstand a lot of chewing and grinding forces.

If a tooth is chipped or cracked, a crown will prevent it from fracturing more. It can even hold a broken tooth together so you don’t need to get an extraction

Benefits of Dental Crowns

If you have severely eroded enamel, you will likely experience tooth sensitivity. This can be very bothersome and uncomfortable or even require you to restrict the foods and drinks that you can consume.

A dental crown will cover your tooth so you don’t feel sharp sensations when you eat your favorite foods. The crown procedure is also minimally invasive and painless. Your crown can be fabricated out of highly aesthetic or durable materials that can last for up to 20 years.

Most importantly, crowns are versatile. They can improve your smile, hide cosmetic problems with a tooth, protect a tooth from damage, and strengthen it. By providing strength and durability to teeth that are missing a lot of natural tooth structures or which have been weakened from damage, you save the tooth from being extracted.

This is important because tooth loss causes irreversible bone loss that comes with a lot of consequences. It is best to protect the tooth you have than to remove and replace it.

The Crown Placement Process

initial consultation

At your consultation, Dr. Sweeney will take x-rays to rule out oral health problems like a tooth infection. If any problems are found, these will need to be treated before you can have a crown placed over your tooth. She will assess the severity of tooth decay or damage to determine if a crown is an appropriate treatment.

enameloplasty

To prepare a tooth for a crown, we need to use a dental drill to shape the tooth by filing it down on all sides. This creates enough room to place a crown on top without it sticking out.

impressions & Fabrication

After we’ve shaped your tooth, impressions will be taken and sent to a dental lab that will use it as a mold to create your custom-made crown. Since it takes a few weeks to create a dental crown in a lab, an immediate crown will be placed on your tooth temporarily for protection.

Bonding

Once we have your official dental crown, you’ll come back to the office to check that you are happy with the fit and appearance of the crown. If no changes need to be made, we will bond the crown to your tooth.

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Types of Crowns Offered

Lab Made Crowns

A lab-made crown is a crown that is carefully crafted in a special lab by technicians who use the impressions and scans that we send them of your teeth and a shade guide to match your crown to the exact measurements and shade of your teeth.

Lab-made crowns are more versatile than same-day CEREC crowns which can only be made out of ceramic. With lab-made crowns, you have every type of material at your disposal, from porcelain and zirconia to metal and ceramic or even porcelain-fused-to-metal.

How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?

This ultimately depends on a few factors, including the location of the tooth, the material the crown is made of, and the reason for the crown. If a crown is made out of porcelain, it is not going to be as durable as a metal crown.

Certain materials are used for aesthetic reasons while others are used for durability and protection. An aesthetic crown is preferable for placement in the front teeth, which show when you smile.

However, the rear teeth are used for chewing and need extra protection, so you would need something stronger back there. It also matters if a crown is being placed over a severely damaged tooth or a tooth with a minor cosmetic issue.

A tooth with a lot of missing structure may not have as solid support as a tooth that is already healthy. However, crowns will generally last for a minimum of 5 to 15 years, with many people’s crowns lasting for up to 20 years.

Dental crowns in East Amherst, NY