The dental crown procedure takes two visits to our office. During the first appointment, one of our dentists will file down your tooth and take digital dental impressions to send to the lab.
After that, they’ll fit your tooth with a temporary dental crown as a placeholder until your permanent restoration is ready. This restores the tooth to its original strength and appearance.
Here’s a more in-depth explanation of the dental crown procedure.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown restores a fragile tooth to its original strength and appearance. Our dentist may recommend a dental crown if your tooth has a large crack, cavity, or filling that has compromised its structural integrity.
A crown acts like a “tooth cap” because it fits over your entire tooth, from the chewing surface to the gum line. This is different from a filling, which only replaces decayed tooth structure.
Emergency Dental Care
Don’t ignore a toothache! Pain is your body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. For example, a cavity or crack in your tooth could be the source of your dental pain.
While over-the-counter pain relievers provide temporary respite from the pain, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with our office for a long-term solution. The only way to make your toothache disappear for good is to treat the root of the problem.
Diagnosis
During your appointment, one of our dentists will examine your teeth and gums. They’ll also take X-rays to see if there are any problems lurking beneath the surface. Once they diagnose the problem, they’ll recommend an appropriate course of treatment.
Keep in mind that not all problems are fixed with a dental crown. For example, you may only need a filling to treat a tooth with a small cavity. Likewise, a deeply infected tooth will need root canal therapy.
Our dentists have years of experience treating patients of all ages and will be able to determine the best solution to restore your oral health.
Tooth Prep
If one of our dentists determines that a crown is the best solution, they’ll prepare your tooth for the procedure. First, they’ll need to file down your tooth so the dental crown will fit over top. Then, they’ll take digital dental impressions.
Digital Dental Impressions
Unlike other offices, we have an intraoral scanner to take detailed 3D images inside your mouth. This means that we won’t have you bite down on a tray filled with pink impression putty to take impressions of your teeth.
Our intraoral scanner is about the same size as a toothbrush and won’t trigger your gag reflex. The comfort of our patients is always one of our top priorities.
Temporary Dental Crown
Once we’ve taken dental impressions, we’ll send them to the lab that will make your new crown.
In the meantime, we’ll place a temporary cover over your tooth to protect it until your next appointment.
When you return to our office, we’ll replace your temporary crown with the permanent restoration.
Permanent Dental Crown
Before cementing the permanent dental crown to your tooth, we’ll make sure it’s the correct size, color, and shape. The dental crown needs to not only fit over your tooth but blend in with the rest of your smile so it looks natural. Once we’re pleased with how your dental crown looks and fits, one of our dentists will bond it to your tooth.
Aftercare
Take care of your dental crown like you do the rest of your smile. This means brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once daily to remove dental plaque. Our dentists may also recommend you swish with fluoride mouth rinse to give your smile that added bit of protection.
Be sure to also check out our 15 oral hygiene tips for a healthy mouth.
Learn More About the Dental Crown Procedure
Our Northville dentists would be more than happy to answer any questions you have about the dental crown procedure. As a dental practice, we always want to make sure our patients feel comfortable and informed about each procedure they undergo.
To request an appointment and learn if you’re a candidate for the dental crown procedure, call Gasior Family Dental at (248) 348-7997.
