Porcelain Crowns Restore Damaged Teeth in Chandler
Do you have a damaged tooth that’s causing you pain or upsetting the harmony of your smile? Porcelain crowns are a great way to replace a damaged tooth with a natural looking treatment. Crowns tend to be a favorite among patients, as they look great, last a long time, and give you a new tooth to replace your damaged enamel.
If you are interested in learning about porcelain crowns, Chandler AZ dentist Dr. Mark Arooni can explain every step. Visit our dental office to find out whether a crown is the right treatment for you.
Who Might Need a Crown?
Porcelain crowns are tooth-shaped caps that full encircle and protect a tooth. They are attached to the base of a tooth and replace it for all your important chewing and biting functions. Crowns can be used any time a tooth has sustained serious structural damage. This can be a deep crack, a fracture (broken tooth), or as a result of tooth decay.
Many times, a tooth will have a cavity that goes into the tooth but leaves the external structure of the tooth intact. If your tooth has a cavity that has affected much of the outer surface of the tooth, a filling may not be possible. In those cases, a crown can replace the whole tooth above the gum line. Crowns can also be used cosmetically, to restore a tooth that looks bad as a result of losing much of its structure, or a tooth with intrinsic stains that don’t respond to whitening treatments.
What Happens During a Crown Appointment?
Depending on your reason for getting a crown, your appointment may be longer or shorter. If the appointment involves a root canal therapy to treat a tooth infection, it will be on the longer side.
If the tooth does not need a root canal, the appointment will include the following steps:
- You will receive an anesthetic injection to ensure you feel no sensitivity during the procedure.
- The affected tooth will be treated to prepare it for the crown. This involves removing some enamel to make room to hold the crown.
- After the tooth has been treated, we take a dental impression. This will be used to make a model to guide the fabrication of your crown.
- A temporary crown will be attached to the tooth, to protect it until your final crown is ready.
After the dental laboratory receives your impression, it usually takes a couple of weeks before the final crown is sent back to our office. When this happens, we will give you a call to schedule another appointment. At the second appointment, we will remove the temporary and permanently bond the crown to your tooth.
During the weeks between your appointments, it’s important that you treat your temporary crown with care. It is not meant to last as long as a permanent crown, and it will not fit over your tooth perfectly. Avoid eating hard or crunchy foods, as well as sticky foods that may pull it loose. If it comes loose, call us immediately.
Are Porcelain Crowns Better Than Metal Crowns?
Crowns can be made from many different materials. These include silver, gold, or other metals; porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM), or zirconia. The major benefit of porcelain over other fabrications is that it looks the closest to natural tooth enamel. PFM looks nice, as well, but may reveal a thin line of metal at the gum line as the crown ages. All crowns tend to last about 10-15 years when well cared for.
You can extend the life of your crown by not using it to bite or chew non-food items. Opening bottles with your teeth or chewing ice or pen caps should not be a habit when you have a crown. Not if you want it to last a long time, anyway!
