Dental Crowns – Lowell, WY
Stellar Protection for Damaged Smiles
Even if you’re a frequent brusher and flosser, teeth tend to wear down over time. There’s a good chance you’ll eventually suffer a chipped tooth, cavity, or some other form of dental damage. That said, don’t take these facts to mean a broken smile is unavoidable. You can always get dental crowns from our Lovell practice; these caps will repair your grin in no time. For more details, just keep reading or book a visit to our office.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a small cap designed to cover the surface of a damaged tooth. Once set in place, it both protects and hides the treatment site from public view. Doing so results in a healthier smile – the crown keeps harmful bacteria and debris from reaching the damaged area.
Due to the traits above, the best dental crown candidates tend to have worn or broken teeth. Examples of these include a cracked tooth, an unfillable cavity, or a site that just had a root canal. For such parts of your mouth, a dental crown can offer crucial restoration.
All that said, the best way to confirm your candidacy is to consult Dr. Anderson. He’ll closely assess your smile to see if a dental crown suits you.
The Dental Crown Process
In general, the dental crown process takes two appointments. The first of these visits will prepare your tooth for its restoration. Later, the follow-up session will place your final restoration once it’s ready.
Our team will spend your first visit prepping your tooth for its crown. For this process, we’ll remove bits of enamel from the treatment site; doing so makes space for the cap. The next step is to make an impression of the prepared tooth and send it to a dental lab. By using this model, workers will craft your final restoration over a few weeks or so. You’ll wear a temporary crown while this crafting proceeds.
You’ll attend the second appointment when your dental crown is ready. At that time, Dr. Anderson will quickly and smoothly place your new prosthetic. He’ll then make last-minute changes so the cap fits well with your smile. After polishing, your newly crowned tooth will be ready for the world!
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown
Getting a dental crown comes with many great perks. The most common of these are:
- Custom Design – Thanks to their porcelain, our dental crowns match your other teeth in color, size, and shape. That means they look gorgeous and blend seamlessly with your smile.
- Tooth Protection – Today’s dental crowns can protect teeth from bacteria and withstand the force of your bite. As such, they let you avoid a root canal or tooth extraction later.
- Versatile Care – Any given dental crown covers a tooth’s visible surface, so it can fix cavities, chips, cracks, and more.
- Long-Lasting Results – When provided with good care, a dental crown can last 15+ years.
Dental Crowns FAQs
Are Dental Crowns Permanent?
While dental crowns cannot be called permanent since they will eventually need replacement, they are certainly a long-term solution that can restore the appearance and function of compromised teeth. However, the process of placing a crown is irreversible since it involves the removal of dental enamel that will not grow back, so teeth that receive these devices will need to wear them for life for protection against infection and injury. Dental crowns can extend the lifespan of damaged teeth by many years or decades, and the restorations can last for up to fifteen years if they receive excellent care. To keep your appliances in great shape, be sure to adhere to an excellent oral hygiene routine, see Dr. Anderson regularly for routine exams and cleanings, wear a sportsguard when needed, and limit your intake of items that are sugary or acidic.
How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?
Dental crowns last between five and fifteen years on average, but the life expectancy of your appliance will be mostly determined by the material it is crafted from, which tooth it is restoring, and how well you care for it. Metal crowns sometimes last longer than metal-free restorations, but the difference is often negligible, and crowns placed on the teeth in the back of the mouth may fail sooner since they endure more stress while chewing. To keep your restorations in great shape, be sure to brush, floss, and use antibacterial mouthwash every day, see Dr. Anderson frequently for checkups, and kick bad habits like smoking, nail-biting, teeth grinding, and chewing on ice or other inedible objects.
How Do You Know When a Dental Crown Needs to Be Replaced?
While the only way to know for sure if your crown needs replacement is to have it examined by Dr. Anderson in our office, you may notice some signs that your appliance is nearing the end of its lifespan on your own. Be on the lookout for:
- Pain: If the tooth wearing the crown becomes decayed, we may need to remove the restoration so the infection can be treated and possibly replace it afterward.
- Mobility: If the restoration is wiggling about upon the tooth wearing it, the cement anchoring it may be compromised.
- Worse appearance: A dental crown is supposed to restore the function and appearance of your tooth, so aesthetic defects like chips or stains can be reason enough for replacement.
- A dark line: Older porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns may show dark lines along the gums as their ceramic shells separate from their metal bases. This can be a sign of excessive wear that means the restoration must be replaced.
Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?
It’s impossible for dental crowns to develop cavities since they do not have any natural enamel, but the teeth wearing them can still be compromised by infections. Crowned teeth are just as likely to suffer decay as uncrowned ones, and poor oral hygiene will allow harmful bacteria to accumulate and infect gums and dental structures. To prevent this, be sure to practice excellent oral hygiene, see us regularly at our Lovell office for checkups, and limit your consumption of sugary and acidic foods and beverages.