Dental Crowns

A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth or after a root canal has been performed on the tooth.  They are typically bonded to the tooth using a dental cement. Crowns can be made from many materials, which are usually fabricated using indirect methods. Crowns are often used to improve the strength or appearance of teeth. The most common method of crowning a tooth involves using a dental impression of a prepared tooth by a dentist to fabricate the crown outside of the mouth. The crown can then be inserted at a subsequent dental appointment or the same day using CEREC.

Procedure

A tooth must usually be reduced in size to accommodate a crown. A cast is made of the existing tooth and an impression is made. The impression is sent to a special lab, which manufactures a custom-designed crown.  A temporary crown is applied until the permanent crown is ready. Permanent crowns are cemented in place.

Crowns are sometimes confused with veneers, but they are quite different. Veneers are typically applied only to relatively small areas.

CEREC – CERamic REConstruction

CEREC is a high-tech device used to design and manufacture ceramic tooth restorations at the dental practice while the patient waits.  The CEREC equipment is comprised of an Omnicam which features ColorStreaming technology, 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to help the dentist design the ideal restoration for the clinical situation, and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) technology that uses two high-speed diamond burs to mill a precise restoration according to the CAD software specifications.  The milling process is completed in less than 10 minutes and the entire restorative procedure is completed in a single appointment. 

Benefits:

  • Single-visit convenience

  • Hi-tech accuracy

  • Natural, tooth-colored restoration

  • Biocompatible, anti-abrasive and plaque resistant ceramic materials

  • Metal free – no silver-colored fillings

  • Preserves more healthy tooth material

  • Extremely precise for long-lasting, natural results

*** Please feel free to ask us about the advantages and benefits of same day CEREC crowns!

How do I take care of Crowns?

A strict regimen of brushing and flossing will keep the crown and surrounding teeth clean. This is of critical importance as the crown collects debris around the restoration.

Certain behaviors such as eating brittle foods, ice or hard candy can compromise the adhesion of the crown, or even damage the crown.