Understanding Dental Crowns: Protection, Restoration, and Applications

Dental crowns are caps that protect and restore a damaged tooth. They may also be used to correct misaligned teeth. They are often made of porcelain or ceramic. They offer durable protection and can be very natural-looking.

Unlike dental fillings, crowns are fabricated away from the mouth. In the first appointment, the damaged tooth is prepared and impressions are taken for fabrication of the crown.

Root Canal

A root canal is needed when the pulp of a tooth becomes inflamed, infected or dies. This is usually caused by a crack or cavity that extends to the nerve and blood vessels inside the tooth. During a root canal treatment, the infected tissue is removed and the space is then filled with a sterile material called guttapercha. The tooth is then sealed with a filling or dental crowns Kaplan LA.

The first step is to numb the area using a local anesthetic. Then the dentist will cut an opening into the tooth and remove the diseased nerve and blood tissues. The remaining tooth is then cleaned, enlarged and shaped in preparation for the crown.

Porcelain fused to glass-infiltrated alumina is an excellent choice for making esthetic crowns. It has the highest strength of any material in dentistry, but is also very translucent. This creates a natural color dynamics with colors “from the inside” rather than from the surface like monolithic zirconia.

Tooth Damage

Tooth damage can result from tooth decay, a cracked or chipped tooth or an injury. A crown or cap covers the damaged portion of a tooth to restore its strength and appearance. The dentist can use different materials to make a crown or cap, including porcelain, ceramic, resin and metal.

Dental crowns are used to cover teeth with severe damage. The goal is to strengthen the tooth and improve its appearance while reducing any discomfort or pain. The crown is shaped and colored to match the surrounding teeth and is bonded to the surface of the tooth.

Onlays/partial crowns are increasingly being applied in clinics. However, a clinical trial that directly compares these restorations with full crowns in stress-bearing posterior teeth has not been reported. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to evaluate the survival rates of endocrowns and composite onlays/partial crowns in molars and premolars.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are the best solution for missing teeth. They look and feel like natural teeth, require little maintenance other than daily brushing and flossing, and support the health of the jaw bone. They don’t shift when you eat or speak and can help prevent the collapse of the surrounding teeth.
Crowns can be used to repair cracked or chipped teeth, cover misshapen or discolored teeth and as the final restoration for a dental implant. Traditional crowns use a metal substructure for strength and porcelain baked over it to restore the appearance. Newer monolithic zirconia dental crowns Kaplan LA have a greater strength but lack the translucency of porcelain.

The first step of dental implant surgery is to have titanium posts placed in the jawbone. These act as anchors and heal over a period of 4 to 6 months. After the implants are healed Dr. Kaplan will create the dental implant crown to affix to the abutment. The process can take several visits to the office.

Broken Teeth

When a tooth is broken, the most appropriate treatment may be a dental crown. Crowns are also known as “caps,” and they fully encase a damaged tooth to restore its shape, size and strength. They can repair broken teeth, cover chipped teeth and fill in missing or misshapen teeth. They are also used as anchors for a dental bridge or as the final restoration on a tooth implant.

The dentist will prepare the tooth by cleaning the area, performing a root canal or both and taking a mold for the crown. He will use a temporary crown to protect the tooth until the permanent crown is ready in about a week.

Traditional crowns typically require two visits. However, Lake Area Dentistry in the Lake Charles area uses CEREC same-day technology that allows you to get your new crown in just one visit. These metal-free restorations are milled in house from medical-grade porcelain and blend seamlessly with the surrounding teeth for a natural look.