Dental Crowns
Services . Dental Crowns
Maple Grove Dentistry
Dental Crowns
Dental Crowns
It’s hard to keep smiling when you have a problem tooth in need of correction. Perhaps you have a molar with extensive decay to the enamel, or a painful crack that hurts when you chew. If you have widespread damage to the structure of a tooth, a dental crown is often the best way to restore the tooth to its full range of use.
If you need a crown, call Maple Grove Dentistry today at 208-853-2221. Our Boise, Idaho dental office is ready to restore your tooth at your comfort and convenience.
When a tooth has incurred a fair amount of damage, a dental filling is not always a viable option. For example, if too much of the enamel has been compromised, there may not be enough tooth structure left to hold a filling. This can happen as the result of tooth decay, a crack, or a failed restoration. When this happens, a crown must be created to replace the outer part of the tooth.
Crowns are essentially artificial teeth that fully surround and encompass the natural tooth, thus providing a strong surface for chewing and biting. Crowns are constructed in dental laboratories and can be made of metal, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal (PFM). This type of restoration is extremely durable, as a crown is permanently affixed to the underlying tooth, thus replacing it and protecting it for years to come. Crowns are not susceptible to tooth decay, but your tooth’s roots at/below the gum line will still be vulnerable—so proper brushing and flossing are still important to the health of a crowned tooth.
Getting A Crown
Dental crowns typically require two visits to our dental office.
During the first visit Dr. Russell Jensen will:
- take an impression of your tooth, which will be used as a model for your permanent crown,
- prepare the tooth, by removing the damaged/decayed enamel,
- take an impression of the prepared tooth, and
- attach a temporary crown.
After your first visit, we will send your dental impressions to our ceramist, who will craft a durable crown that fits seamlessly into your bite. While it is being constructed, you will need to wear a temporary crown for a week or two, which is neither as durable nor as strong as a permanent crown. Feel free to bite and chew normally, but be aware that hard foods or intense pressure may damage or dislodge the temporary crown. Most patients do fine with temporaries, but if yours should break or come loose, please call us immediately so we can assess the need for an extra visit.
When your permanent crown is finished you will return to our office to have it permanently affixed to your tooth, leaving you with a strong, natural-looking replacement.
How Are Bridges Like Crowns?
Bridges are similar to crowns in that the two teeth surrounding a gap must undergo the same process as that of a single crown. Instead of each tooth receiving individual crowns, the teeth will be connected with a bridge that also replaces the function of the missing tooth.
Bridges are only necessary when a tooth has been lost, as the adjacent teeth must be crowned to support the bridge. Some patients are put off by the idea of crowning healthy teeth, but ultimately bridges are beneficial to the surrounding teeth, as they protect and stabilize them. When a lost tooth is left unrestored, the adjacent teeth can drift into the gap, which can upset the alignment of your bite. Watch the video (below) to see how a bridge is made.