Category: dental crowns
Natural Looking Dental Crowns | Bakersfield CA
A dental crown refers to a cap that is bonded over the entire surface of a damaged tooth to encapsulate the portion of the tooth above the gums. It can be used to repair different types of tooth damage including cracked teeth, large cavities, discoloration, and misshapen teeth. They can also be used alongside other tooth restoration procedures such as root canal therapy, to strengthen the tooth, and dental bridgework to support a tooth replacement.
A cap helps to restore the size, shape, and strength of a tooth while improving its appearance. If you’re a suitable candidate for dental crowns, your dentist may recommend one of the following materials for your permanent crown:
Tooth-Colored Crowns
Tooth-colored crowns that are fabricated entirely from porcelain are referred to as all-porcelain crowns, while those made entirely from ceramic are known as all-ceramic crowns. Dental composite resin is another tooth-colored material that can give you an aesthetic restoration. Composite crowns are highly affordable, but are arguably the weakest material for crowns since they’re prone to chipping, cracking, and rapid wear.
Your dentist may also recommend Zirconium, which is a fairly new dental material that produces crowns that are as strong and durable as metal crowns and natural-looking for an aesthetic restoration. They’re also biocompatible, meaning that they won’t cause allergic reactions, and can be fabricated at the dentist’s office for same-day crown restorations.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are generally fabricated with a metal base and porcelain coating, which gives them the strength of metal crowns and the aesthetics of tooth-colored crowns. However, porcelain-metal crowns tend to be abrasive to opposing teeth, which increases their wear rate. The metal ring on the crown may also become visible in the event of gum recession.
Metal Crowns
Crowns made from metal are the strongest and most durable option, plus they’re not abrasive to opposing teeth. Different metals can be used to fabricate crowns, including gold, platinum, copper, and alloys like nickel-chromium and cobalt-chromium. Most metal crowns are made from a blend of metals, like gold and the base metal alloys.
Tooth-Colored vs. Metal Crowns
Tooth-colored materials give the restoration a natural look, which makes them a popular choice for repairing front teeth in order to preserve the aesthetics of your smile. They come in different shades, so you can choose a specific color that closely matches the shade of your teeth to make the restoration unnoticeable.
Metal crowns are primarily used to repair back teeth because they’re strong and highly resistant, and they’re not visible when smiling, which makes aesthetics less of a concern. But they may not be suitable for people who’re allergic to metals or those with aesthetic concerns.
To learn more about Dental Crowns in Bakersfield CA please contact us today.
Dental Crowns – Your First Visit | Bakersfield CA
Dental crowns can be fabricated from different materials that include porcelain, composite, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and different types of metals and alloys. Each type of crown has its unique pros and cons, so your dentist will help you choose the most appropriate one for your case depending on the strength requirements and aesthetic concerns of the tooth involved, as well as your personal preferences or allergic reactions to any of the materials.
Crowns are fabricated in a dental lab, so you will need to visit the dentist at least twice: the first time is to prepare your teeth and take measurements that will be used to prepare the crown, which can then be fitted on your second visit.
Here’s what to expect:
- On the first visit, your dentist will administer a local anaesthetic to numb your face for the duration of the procedure.
- Tooth preparation depends on your specific case, and may involve the removal of any decay and infection and filing down the tooth to maximize the retention of the crown and to ensure a good fit that doesn’t distort your smile.
- Next, a mold or impression of the tooth will be made and sent to the lab to fabricate your permanent custom crown. An impression of the opposing tooth may also be created to ensure a perfect fit with the mouth closed.
- To protect the prepared tooth, a temporary or transition crown will be placed on it. This crown is typically made from plastic material (acrylic), and is held in place using a temporary cementing medium to allow easy removal at your next visit.
- After two to three weeks you will return for fitting of the permanent crown. The dentist will remove the temporary crown and clean the site. The permanent crown will then be fitted and adjusted for any bite variations. If there are no issues, the crown can be cemented to your tooth.
Same-Day Crowns
It is possible to get your permanent crown prepared and installed on the same day, as is the case for zirconia crowns. The tooth is prepared the normal way. But instead of making an impression of the tooth, the dentist uses a wand scanner to capture pictures of the teeth. The images are uploaded into a computer where CAD software (computer-aided design) is used to design a 3D model that can be used to fabricate a replacement ceramic crown in about 15 minutes.
Restore Damaged Teeth Today
If you have a severely weakened tooth due to fractures, decay, or any other kind of damage, please visit your dentist to discuss whether crowns are suitable to restore the integrity of the tooth.
To ask about Dental Crowns in Bakersfield CA please contact us today.
Dental Crowns Near Me, Bakersfield CA 93301
Dental crowns are one of the most popular restorative and cosmetic treatments in dentistry. They provide a strong and durable cap that holds together a tooth that has been severely damaged and weakened by trauma or decay, helping to save a tooth that may otherwise have been extracted.
Other benefits of tooth crowns include:
Prevent Tooth Loss from Decay
The crown protects the remaining natural tooth so you are not forced to extract it. Crowns can be used to save decayed teeth, where the cavity has formed on more than 50 percent of the tooth, such that a filling cannot be used. To save the tooth, the dentist needs to remove the decay, clean the site, and cement the custom crown in place, restoring the complete function of your mouth.
Save Damaged Teeth
Crowns are typically recommended for severe tooth damage, where other options are not sufficient to provide a strong restoration. Some of the common applications of crowns include:
- To strengthen the tooth structure following root canal therapy
- To repair broken or fractured teeth
- To replace large fillings
- To fix chips and cracks
Cosmetic Repairs
If dental crowns are the only way to save your tooth, your dentist may recommend tooth-colored materials so the restored tooth is barely noticeable compared to adjacent teeth. In fact, tooth-colored materials reflect light just like natural teeth, which makes it hard to distinguish the restoration from tooth enamel. This allows you to both restore and improve your smile.
Final Note
Dental crowns are usually placed in two visits. During the initial visit, the dentist will determine whether you’re a good candidate for dental crowns, and then take digital impressions of the tooth so they can be used to fabricate your custom crowns in a lab. Before your permanent crown is ready, a temporary crown will be placed to protect the prepared tooth and allow your mouth to function normally. About 7 days later, on the second visit, the temporary crown will be removed and your permanent, custom crown placed so it “caps” the entire damaged or decayed area of the tooth.
If you have any questions or concerns about porcelain dental crowns, please visit your dentist in Bakersfield today.