While everybody wants to proudly show off a perfect set of pearly white teeth each time they smile, 26% of the American adult population have untreated tooth decay. If left untreated, this can quickly lead to the formation of cavities that may require the use of dental crowns in Candler, NC.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown serves as an artificial cap that’s specifically designed to restore the appearance, strength, and functionality of a treated tooth. While dental crowns can be made from various types of materials, the most commonly used ones are made of ceramic or porcelain. It’s important to note that a dental crown is the most versatile option for dental restoration.
Installing a dental crown may require two to three visits to your dentist. During the first visit, your tooth enamel will be filed down to accommodate the crown. A local anesthetic will be applied to the area to make sure that you won’t experience any discomfort.
Next, your dentist will take a mold of that tooth and its surrounding teeth and send it to a dental laboratory where crowns are made. While waiting for your permanent crown, you’ll be given a temporary crown. After about two to three weeks, you’ll have another appointment to have your permanent crown placed.
How Are Dental Crowns Used?
They Improve the Appearance of Your Teeth
Dental crowns can be your ideal choice to conceal your misshapen, discolored, or severely stained teeth. Certain crown materials such as ceramic and porcelain can be made to perfectly match the color of your existing teeth. However, porcelain or ceramic crowns are only recommended for the front teeth because they won’t be able to handle the force of chewing that’s normally found in your molars.
They Protect a Chipped, Cracked, or Worn Tooth
If you have a tooth that’s been chipped, cracked, or worn down, your dentist may recommend a crown to effectively address this problem. When a tooth’s structural integrity is compromised, it can be extremely difficult or painful to chew on it. Installing a crown to cover the tooth in question will restore its natural function.
They Cover a Dental Implant
Choosing to replace one or more of your missing teeth with dental implants may require the use of dental crowns. Your oral surgeon installs metal installs dental implants that look like screw-like metal fixtures, into your jawbone. Once the implants have successfully fused with the bone through the process of osseointegration and the healing is finished, your dentist will pop the dental crowns on the implants.
They Anchor a Dental Bridge
A dental bridge refers to a fixed dental solution to missing teeth that works by joining your artificial tooth to dental implants or adjacent teeth. If you don’t want to get dental implants, you may want to consider having dental crowns placed on the surrounding teeth to anchor the dental bridge. Since the dentist uses a special kind of dental cement to ensure that the crowns are securely anchored, you can expect your bridge to look, feel, and function like your natural teeth.
They Protect a Root Canal
In most cases, people associate dental crowns with root canal therapy. This type of treatment involves the removal of the infected pulp of a tooth to eliminate infection and prevent recontamination. After a root canal, the remaining tooth has to be protected by placing a dental crown over it.
Do You Need Dental Crowns in Candler, NC?
At Cataloochee Dental Group, we provide high-quality dental care so that you can achieve and maintain great oral health Contact us today to schedule your appointment.