Dental crowns are a highly versatile dental restoration that can be used to treat a range of restorative and cosmetic dental concerns. Made from a light reflective and high-tech dental material, dental crowns are custom fabricated to blend seamlessly with your smile for optimal aesthetic results. They are a very durable and long-lasting restoration. They are color matched to patients’ teeth so that they are virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the patient’s smile.
Dental crowns can be used to:
- Repair a damaged, cracked or chipped tooth
- Cover a discolored tooth
- Stabilize a tooth after a root canal
- Replace a missing tooth with a dental implant
Dr. Uttma Dham offers personalized consultations to determine which dental procedures are necessary to restore your oral health. Our goal is to offer conservative treatment plans that address both functional and aesthetic concerns.
DENTAL CROWN FAQS
Do you have further questions about dental crowns and how they may benefit your smile? Continue reading to find answers to questions frequently asked in our office.
Why is a dental crown needed?
A dental crown may be used to treat an array of dental issues. Crowns are often used to protect a weak, decaying, or very worn down tooth after a root canal.
Dental crowns may also be used to support a bridge, and cover up discolored teeth with deep stains that do not clear up after teeth whitening. They are also used as a cap for a dental implant restoration.
How long do dental crowns last?
Dental crowns typically last between 5-15 years. Their life is dependent on many different factors. The most important aspect that contributes to a crown’s life is the patient’s oral care routine.
If a patient practices great oral hygiene and takes care of their crown, it will be much more likely to last closer to 15 years before it needs to be replaced.
How long does it take for a dental crown to feel normal?
A dental crown typically takes a couple of days to begin to feel normal in your mouth. In most cases, patients say that their crown begins to feel normal in their mouth after 4 days.
Your mouth will need to adjust to your new crown, but after a few days everything should begin to feel normal and you should be able to eat and chew normally.
How long after a crown is cemented can I eat?
Patients are told to refrain from eating for at least one hour after a dental crown procedure. It may be wise to slowly introduce your crown to different food groups in the first week after the procedure. Most patients wait a few days before eating really hard or sticky foods.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The process of receiving a dental crown will vary depending on the reason a patient needs the crown. Dr. Dham will always take the time to detail all parts of treatments necessary to patients on an individual basis before beginning. Treatment will begin by preparing the site where the dental crown will be placed. This step may include removing an old filling, completing a root canal, or placing a dental implant.
Using digital 3-D imaging, Dr. Dham will take a virtual mold of the patient’s mouth. These images will be used to help create a custom dental crown.
Dental crowns are custom fabricated to match the shape, size, and color of the patient’s natural smile. This ensures that dental crowns blend in seamlessly with the rest of the patient’s smile. Dental crowns are made from a highly durable material that should last for many years with proper oral hygiene and routine dental checkups.
Once the dental crown has been fabricated, the patient returns to our Plantation, FL dentist office for their final fitting. Dr. Dham will ensure that patients are fully satisfied with their results before permanently securing the dental crown. After this appointment, patients leave our office with a new smile that functions and looks like their natural teeth.
REPLACING A SINGLE MISSING TOOTH
Dental crowns secured using a dental implant are the preferred method for replacing a single missing tooth. Dental implants mimic the natural ingenuity of a human tooth. The implant is surgically placed in the empty root socket and functions as a prosthetic tooth root. This reduces the concern of bone deterioration and allows for the crown to be permanently attached without relying on surrounding teeth. Once the implant heals, a dental crown can be permanently anchored to the implant for the most natural missing tooth replacement option available.
Dr. Dham and our Westside Dental Center team offer dental implant procedures all from under one roof. Our Plantation, FL dentist office coordinates implant treatments for consistent and predictable results without the need for additional specialists.