A smile is a great way to make people feel at ease with you. Good teeth go a long way towards making your smile one to remember. However, daily wear and tear can damage your teeth and you need to go to the dentist at regular intervals for minor repairs and adjustments. One way of treating damaged teeth is through porcelain dental crowns. Porcelain crowns closely resemble your teeth and become a substitute for the entire external part of your tooth down to the level of the gum.
Consultation for a Crown
You might need a crown for cosmetic reasons or to replace a damaged tooth out of necessity. Whichever be your reason, the first step is to make an appointment to visit your dentist. The dentist will examine your teeth and determine if a porcelain crown is the best option for you. A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
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Week tooth protection
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Broken tooth restoration
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Tooth cover and support when most of the tooth is no longer there
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Dental bridge support
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Covering of Misshapen or Discoloured Teeth
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Covering of a dental implant
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Cosmetic modifications
How does a Porcelain Crown Work?
Porcelain crowns replace the external structure of a damaged tooth – restoring its original function and appearance. When tooth decay or some kind of trauma or enamel erosion has destroyed most of the natural tooth – a crown is the best substitute. Often people who grind and clench their teeth and eventually damage them, are recommended crowns as a replacement to control that damage that has already been caused.
The best thing about a porcelain crown is that not only does it make your tooth function normally but it also closely resembles the original tooth in appearance – sometimes even being better than the original one. A crown is thicker than a veneer (which is used to cover some frontal flow in the tooth) and is used when that thickness is needed.
The Procedure
You need to make two visits to the dentist to get a crown for your tooth.
Visit Number One: Examination and Preparation of Tooth – To prepare for a crown, your dentist might take some dental X-rays. Depending on the state of your tooth, sometimes a root canal treatment can precede a crown. Before making the crown, your dentist will numb the tooth with an anesthetic and file the tooth down to make room for the crown. An impression of the tooth is made and sent to the dental laboratory where the crown is manufactured. It usually takes two to three weeks for the crown to be ready.
Your dentist also makes a temporary crown made of acrylic to protect your teeth while the actual one is being made and fixes it into place using a temporary cement.
Visit Number Two: Receiving the Permanent Dental Crown – During the second visit, your dentist removes the temporary crown, checks the fit and colour of the permanent crown and if everything is ok, uses a local anesthetic to make the tooth numb and cements the new crown firmly in place.
How Long does a Porcelain Crown Last?
Normally, porcelain crowns last from five to 15 years. The longevity of the crown is dependent on how much wear and tear your teeth is exposed to, how well you care for your teeth, and your daily habits. It is recommended to avoid grinding or clenching your teeth, biting your fingernails, using your teeth to open bottles or tear packages, chewing ice and so on.
So if you have been worrying about teeth imperfections, visit a dentist and check to see if porcelain crowns might be the solution for you.
