Teeth consist of the hardest material in the human body, but that doesn’t mean the outer enamel layers cannot still become damaged over time. If enough enamel breaks down, the vulnerable dentin and pulp can become exposed, increasing the risk of teeth sensitivity and oral infections later. With the help of custom-made dental crowns in Greeley, CO from Dr. Blake E. Cure, you can get your smile headed back in the right direction. Don’t wait to contact our dental office and get started!
Dental crowns or caps are fixed prosthetics designed to accomplish a number of different tasks. Unlike removable options like dentures, dental crowns are meant to stay in place for many years at a time thanks to the cemented material keeping them adhered. They are considered to be the most common type of dental restoration provided by dentists and can be placed by just about any dental professional.
Dental crowns are typically placed in order to protect damaged teeth, but they offer many additional benefits as well. For example, they can replace a filling that has become insufficient at protecting or saving a natural tooth. They can restore a fractured tooth or prevent teeth from breaking apart further. If you intend to replace teeth, they are used in tandem with a dental bridge or implant to fill the gap in your smile. If your natural tooth has become severely discolored, a porcelain crown can hide your tooth’s appearance and make your smile look more natural as a result.
Of course, those who undergo root canal treatment will absolutely need to have a crown placed.
Crowns can be made from a wide variety of materials, depending on your preference. In the past, crowns were typically made from silver or gold because of their durability. However, many patients are opting for porcelain material because of its natural appearance to tooth enamel. The choice you make will largely depend on the tooth you intend on replacing. For example, teeth that are visible in your smile are best suited to use with porcelain, while silver may be more appropriate for a tooth highly susceptible to grinding like molars.
After Dr. Cure closely examines your mouth, he’ll determine if a crown is the best solution for your damaged tooth. If so, he’ll begin cleaning the tooth of any decay or damaged tissue, then start preparing it for crown placement. This involves removing a very small amount of tooth enamel in order to give the crown room to properly anchor to the damaged portion. After taking an impression of the tooth, which will be sent to an offsite lab to have a permanent crown created, you’ll need to wear a temporary crown for the time being. This will protect your tooth until you have your permanent crown placed.
Crowns have the potential to last a lifetime, but it is possible for them to fall out prematurely. With proper care, there’s no reason that your dental crown shouldn’t last as long as 15 years. Just make sure that you practice daily oral care and visit our dental office for checkups and cleanings once every six months. Avoid using your teeth as a tool under any circumstances as this can cause it to either wear down prematurely or become unadhered from your damaged tooth underneath.
Want to know more about dental crowns in Greeley before making any decisions? Our knowledgeable team as pulled together some frequently asked questions about this type of restoration and answered them below. From whether crowns can get cavities to how they feel in your mouth, we cover all the fundamentals. Hopefully, you find this information useful! To learn even more about dental crowns or to schedule a consultation, do not hesitate to contact our office.
Generally speaking, dental crowns should feel so natural that you may end up forgetting you even have one! When you first get a permanent crown, there may be a slight adjustment period. However, within a few days, your dental restoration should start to feel increasingly natural. After all, your crown will be custom-made from impressions of your tooth to fit comfortably within your mouth. Moreover, crowns are made from durable materials that can stand up to everyday chewing forces just as easily as tooth enamel, so eating with a crown shouldn’t feel strange.
When placed by an experienced dentist in Greeley like Dr. Cure, a dental crown should be 100% safe. Unlike metal fillings, metal crowns don’t contain any mercury, so there’s no reason to worry about toxicity. In addition, tooth-colored materials like porcelain also contain zero toxins. If you have an allergy to a particular metal alloy used in crowns, you may have an allergic reaction. These reactions are usually minor, but you should still let our team know if you’ve experienced allergies or sensitivities to metal in the past. If you already have a dental crown and are experiencing gum irritation, redness, or swelling near the restoration, contact our office right away. These symptoms could all indicate an allergic reaction.
A dental crown in Greeley cannot develop a cavity. However, the tooth underneath a crown is still susceptible to tooth decay. That’s why it’s so important to practice excellent oral hygiene at home. If you don’t consistently brush and floss, bacteria and plaque can form around the gumline where the tooth meets the crown. They can then travel underneath the crown and wreak havoc on the underlying tooth. You can prevent cavities in crowned teeth the same way you’d prevent cavities in any other tooth: by brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting a dentist every six months for a routine checkup.
Regardless of whether your crown is made from porcelain or metal, it cannot be whitened like your teeth can. Tooth enamel has tiny pores that allow bleaching gels to enter and break apart stains, but dental restorations like crowns do not. Therefore, your crown should always remain the same color. If you are getting a porcelain crown and worried that it will stick out in your smile, ask your dentist about whitening your teeth before your crown is placed. That way, your crown will be matched to the ideal shade of your smile.