What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth — to cover the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance according to WebMD.
Look for these clues that one of your tooth is telling you to see if you need dental crowning:
- Extremely discolored tooth
- A particular weak tooth that needs to be held together
- One or more tooth requiring bridges
- You wish to have a crown placed for cosmetic reasons
Types of crowns that can be used:
- Ceramic
- Porcelain
- Resin
- Stainless steel
During your FIRST visit:
During your first visit to your local periodontist, the professional will exam all of your teeth to make sure that all sets of pearly whites are withstanding certain temperature like extremely hot or cold food. He/ she then will examine the tooth to make sure that it can support a crown.
Once confirmed, your periodontist will begin filling the tooth down to prepare for the crown. If the tooth is severely damaged your periodontist may need to fill it in to make it large enough to properly receive the crown and is fitted.
After the tooth is filled to its proper shape, he/she will take an impression of the tooth and send it to a dental lab – the permanent crown will be made according to the appropriate measurements.
A new temporarily crown is in place while you wait for your permanent final crown to be placed.
During your SECOND visit:
Your second appointment is when your permanent crown is ready so that your periodontist is able to remove the temporary crown in its place with dental adhesive.
It will take some getting used to before the permanent crown feels normal in your mouth. Your new tooth will function and look aesthetically normal just like your original tooth before it was severely damaged.
More information on periodontics, dental implants and dental crowns can be found on this website. Or call (213) 250-7554 to schedule your first initial consultation with David Kao DDS, your Los Angeles Periodontist and Dental Implant Specialist – dedicated to help you every step of the way!
