Dental Crowns Albany, OR
Dental Crowns in Albany provided by Dr. Jeffrey Carl & Dr. Austin Brunson at Jeffrey Carl DMD
Naturally, your teeth have crowns. They are the cusps and crevasses on the tooth's surface that helps in chewing food. When the tooth surface is damaged, for example, through cavities, or if fractured, it is replaced by a dental prosthetic crown to protect it from getting damaged further. Prosthetic dental crowns are composite, ceramic, gold, or metal amalgamates that cap the surface to restore the tooth's look, shape, and function. To choose the best-suited crown for you, our dentists at Jeffrey Carl DMD assess the location of the tooth, check for symptoms of a condition like bruxism, and look at the shade of the surrounding teeth, among other factors.
Benefits and Types of Dental Crowns
Crowns are a common and effective dental restoration and are natural-looking replacements that imitate the look and function of a natural tooth surface. Crowns help enhance one's appearance and hygiene as they help fix damaged or diseased teeth while protecting teeth after other restorative procedures, such as a root canal or dental implant. Dental crowns also help restore large or worn-off tooth fillings and are known to last a long time, given the proper maintenance.
Dental crowns come in various materials, including metal, gold, ceramic, and porcelain-fused-to-metal. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are made up of heated porcelain and metal and are the most commonly preferred crown material. They blend perfectly with natural teeth and offer stronger support than pure porcelain crowns. Ceramic crowns are also referred to as cosmetic crowns and are tooth-colored, so they blend well with natural teeth. They are mostly preferred for anterior teeth as they are not as strong as metal or porcelain metal crowns, so they have to be on teeth with minimal bite force. Metal and gold crowns are colored and hence are mostly preferred for posterior teeth with great bite force as they are durable and sturdy. They are considered the most conservative as they do not require much tooth structure to be removed before placement.
Steps During a Crown Placement
Preparing for a dental crown could take two visits, the first for assessing and preparing the tooth, while the second involves placing the dental crown. During the first visit, the dentist visually examines the tooth through x-rays to check the entire tooth structure for the extent of decay or infection to the neighboring teeth or dental structures. The dentist will numb the tooth and gums to reduce sensitivity and reshape the tooth surface to ensure the crown fits. Different crowns require different amounts of the natural tooth to be removed. Impressions of the tooth surface are taken using a putty substance or a digital dental scanner below and above the tooth root to ensure the new crown does not affect alignment or bite. A temporary crown is placed before a custom fit crown is completed to cap and protect the tooth.
The second visit entails permanently removing the temporary crown and cementing the custom made in place under local anesthesia. After the procedure, patients are advised to stay away from chewy and hard foods that could damage the crown within the first few days after surgery. Dental crowns are easy to care for and durable, depending on their care.
Visit us at Jeffrey Carl DMD for a dental crown placement or call us at (541) 918-2361 for more information.
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