Dental Crowns
Woodland, CA
 Extensive damage to a tooth that cannot be restored using a dental filling, inlay, onlay, or a root canal is repaired via a crown. A crown is placed over a tooth to restore its strength, and crowns are a vital restorative procedure that we offer to our patients. Beautiful Smiles uses several different materials for our crowns from which our patients can choose. Maintaining the integrity of our patients’ oral cavities is important, and we want to provide the best treatment available.
How Is a Crown Placed?
The patient will meet with one of our dentists initially to discuss the treatment. The patient may have booked the appointment themself if they felt pain or weakness in the tooth, or our dentist may have noticed it during a checkup. Crowns can be placed for a number of reasons, including tooth decay, tooth fracture, and cracking. The patient will discuss what material they would like used for their crown, and our dentist will inform the patient how the procedure will go ahead.
On the day of the surgery, our dentist will numb the area of the affected tooth, using local anesthetic. This will make the process painless, as they begin to shape the tooth in a small nub. This is important, as it creates the foundation for the crown while allowing the patient to retain some of the natural tooth. Measurements of the newly shaped tooth will be taken and sent to a dental lab in order for a custom-fit crown to be made. In the meantime, the patient will receive a temporary crown. When the custom-fit crown is made - which takes approximately two weeks - the temporary crown will be removed, and the new one will be placed.
What Are the Benefits of a Crown?
When damage is extensive enough to warrant a crown, the other solutions for restoring the tooth involve the removal of the tooth via the use of a dental implant or dental bridge. These restoration procedures are far more extensive for the patient and involve multiple surgeries over several months. In comparison, crowns are placed in a relatively short period of time. Crowns allow patients to retain some of their natural tooth, and crowns can be replaced easily. Once the initial surgery of having the tooth shaped into a nub is completed, replacing a crown is not an extensive procedure.
Crowns usually last 15 years, but crowns have been known to last over 25 years with excellent care. Having a crown placed is potentially removing decay from the mouth and preventing it from spreading further. It will also restore the tooth’s strength, which means less pressure will be applied to the surrounding teeth. Aesthetically, the tooth will look far better than before if it was being affected by tooth decay, as it can often be blackened by bacteria.
Beautiful Smiles uses crowns to restore a tooth to its former strength and appearance. We have a range of different materials that can be used, and our consultation appointments are an excellent way to become familiar with the procedure. To book an appointment, contact our office at (530) 206-9211. |
