Do you have crowns on the brain this week? While this week might be homecoming week at Albion High School, where a few lucky students will be crowned homecoming king and queen, here at Brockport Dental when we talk about crowns, we’re talking about teeth.
A crown is a cap or covering that encases a tooth’s entire surface, restoring it to its original shape and size after a cavity or injury has wreaked havoc on its structure. Crowns protect and strengthen teeth from further damage that could lead to you losing a tooth entirely when a filling or some other type of fix or restoration is simply not enough.
Crowns are a fairly common practice in the dentistry field. The most common kind of crown is made of porcelain, which is often the same color as your tooth, so you won’t be able to tell a difference where the tooth with the crown covering is just by looking at your teeth. Porcelain crowns last for many years, as well, but may need to be fixed or replaced in the event of chipping or cracking.
Brockport Dental will place a crown on your tooth if you have a decaying, broken or fractured tooth; a large or fractured filling that needs some extra help; or after we perform a root canal to make sure your tooth stays healthy. We can also use crowns and caps to cosmetically fix or enhance parts of your smile that you’re not pleased with.
We typically apply a crown over the span of two appointments. The first appointment will involve having molds or impressions taken of your teeth so that we can create a crown that meets the exact specifications and dimensions of your tooth. We’ll also place a temporary crown on your tooth until the permanent one can be attached. We’ll numb your tooth and the surrounding area, shave away any decaying tooth, and use a temporary non-harmful cement to place the temporary crown.
At your second appointment, we’ll remove the temporary crown, clean your tooth, and place the permanent crown on your tooth. We’ll make sure your bite is neat and accurate, and ensure that you don’t have any discomfort from chewing with the crown in place, ensuring a comfortable and natural-feeling experience.
We want our patients to know that this procedure may seem scary at first, but we perform crown placement procedures on a regular basis, and there’s really nothing to be nervous about! If you have any questions and want to speak to a dentist, make an appointment online today or call us at Brockport Dental at 585-589-0000 and let us help you achieve a beautiful and healthy smile.
