What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a type of oral restoration designed to cover a chipped, cracked, or badly decaying tooth. Crowns are incredibly versatile and can address issues with your front or back teeth. In addition to protecting your affected tooth from further damage, a dental crown restores your tooth to its near-original size, shape, and strength.
Why would I need a dental crown?
In a perfect world, your permanent teeth would stay healthy and problem-free your entire life. However, that isn’t always possible. Accidents and injuries happen, and wear-and-tear occurs as you get older.
Dr. Kern might recommend a dental crown to:
- Repair a cracked tooth
- Repair a chipped tooth
- Prevent further decay
- Support a weak tooth
He might also recommend a dental crown if you undergo a root canal. Following root canal treatment, your tooth is fragile and requires extra protection.
What types of dental crowns do you offer?
At his practice, Dr. Kern offers a variety of dental crowns, including:
- All-porcelain crowns
- Porcelain fused to metal crowns
- Gold crowns
- Metal or amalgam crowns
To determine the type of dental crown you’ll most benefit from, Dr. Kern considers several factors, including your tooth’s location, the position of your gum tissue, the color of your surrounding teeth, and how much of your natural tooth remains. After considering all of these factors, he makes a treatment recommendation based on your unique needs.
What does receiving a dental crown involve?
Receiving a dental crown usually takes two separate appointments. At your initial consultation, Dr. Kern takes a series of oral X-rays, does an oral exam, and asks you about any symptoms you’re experiencing. Next, he administers a local anesthetic and carefully files down your tooth in preparation for the crown. After filing your tooth, Dr. Kern takes impressions of your tooth using dental putty.
Finally, Dr. Kern sends your impressions to a dental laboratory that manufactures your crown. About a week later, you return to the office, and Dr. Kern places and bonds the permanent crown to your teeth, a process that usually takes no longer than 60 minutes.
Crowns won’t last forever, but if you brush and floss regularly and avoid bad habits like biting your fingernails or chewing on ice, they can last for between 10-15 years.
To see if you’re a candidate for a dental crown, make an appointment with Dr. Kern today by calling the office or using the online booking tool.
