How Dental Crowns Help with Form and Function of Your Teeth

Dental crowns are versatile restorations with several applications. They restore teeth with severe dental health and cosmetic problems. Often the placement of a crown is an overlap of cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Here is how the procedure kills two birds with one session in the dentist’s chair.

How dental crowns work

A dental crown takes the form of the visible part of the tooth, except that it is hollow. This means that a crown that restores an incisor will look flatter than a crown made for a canine or molar.

The hollow space on the inside of a crown takes the exact form of the natural tooth that it covers. Dentists achieve this by using an impression of the tooth as a ‘blueprint’ for the fabrication of the crown. Like a cap, the finished product fits perfectly over the vulnerable tooth it protects. This explains the other name that describes a crown: the dental cap.

Restoring the structure of a tooth with a dental crown 

Some dentists can create dental caps in-office, allowing their patients to go home with a brand new crown after a single procedure. Many more dentists depend on dental labs to fabricate crowns. They send their patients home with a temporary restoration while the crown is under construction. In such scenarios, patients need two dentist appointments to receive a permanent dental cap.

Whichever the case, the treatment process involves the following steps:

• The dentist numbs the patient and removes any dental tissue damaged by injury or infection
• They also remove a layer of enamel to create space for the dental crown before rinsing the tooth
• Next, the dentist uses putty-like material to take an impression of the prepared tooth. This mold is what the dentist or dental lab uses to create the custom crown
• If the dentist makes the crown in-office, they fabricate and install it right away
• If the dentist requests the crown from a dental lab, they will place a temporary covering over the tooth. The patient will return for the placement of the permanent cap once the dentist receives it from the lab

Dental crowns improve the look, form and function of a problematic tooth. Here are the different ways a crown restores oral health.

Restoring the function of a tooth with a dental crown

Crowns only come into play in cases where teeth have severe damage that weakens the outer structure of the tooth. As a result, the patient becomes unable to comfortably use their teeth to bite, crush or grind. There is also the extra discomfort of a crooked or discolored smile, which affects self-confidence.

A crown covers the weak tooth, reinforcing its outer structure and providing the strength and stability it needs to function. This ultimately improves the patient’s bite. The cap also protects the tooth from further injury or infection, while improving the smile of its owner.

Teeth replacement and crowns

Dentists often come across teeth that are past saving. They will recommend implant-supported crowns for patients that are good candidates for the treatment. This solution has both aesthetic and oral health benefits, like a healthy jaw or an improvement in the patient’s bite.

Dental caps can do wonders for your smile

Call us to find out how. Our dentist will take a look at your teeth and find out if and how crowns can breathe new life into your smile.

Request an appointment here: https://familydentistphoenix.com or call Phoenix Family Dentistry at (602) 547-9007 for an appointment in our Phoenix office.