Dental crowns can solve many different types of problems you may be experiencing with your teeth.  Some include:

• Protect weak teeth
• Cover and support a tooth that is nearly disintegrated
• Cover misshapen or discolored teeth
• Restore a broken or worn down tooth
• Make a cosmetic alteration
• Cover a dental implant

Examining and preparing the tooth is the first step in getting a dental crown.  At the first visit in preparation for a crown, your dentist may take a few X-rays to check the roots of the tooth receiving the crown and surrounding bone. If the tooth has extensive decay or if there is a risk of infection or injury to the tooth’s pulp, a root canal treatment may first be performed.

Before the process of making a crown begins, your dentist will numb the tooth and the gum tissue around the tooth. Next, the tooth receiving the crown is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown. The amount removed depends on the type of crown used.  If a large area of the tooth is missing due to decay or damage, your dentist will use filling material to “build up” the tooth to support the crown.

After reshaping the tooth, your dentist will use a paste or putty to make an impression of the tooth to receive the crown. To ensure that the crown will not affect your bite, impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth to receive the dental crown will also be made.

The impressions are sent to a dental lab where the crown will be manufactured.

During this first office visit your dentist will make a temporary crown to cover and protect the prepared tooth while the crown is being made. Temporary crowns usually are made of acrylic and are held in place using a temporary cement.  It is important to avoid, hard, sticky, and/or chewing substances that might pull the temporary crown off your tooth.

At the second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check the fit and color of the permanent crown. If everything is acceptable, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the tooth and the new crown is permanently cemented in place.

On average, dental crowns last between five and 15 years.  The life span of a crown depends on the amount of “wear and tear” the crown is exposed to.  Continue to follow good oral hygiene practices, including brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing daily, especially around the crown area where the gum meets the tooth, and rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash at least once a day.