Your teeth are protected by a hard layer of enamel, which is the hardest substance in the body. However, enamel can’t repair itself the way your bones do, so if it becomes broken, the only way to restore your teeth is with a customized restoration such as a dental crown. At North York Dental, our dentists can offer crowns made of highly durable materials that help safeguard the teeth from further damage while also restoring their strength. Call today to schedule an appointment with us if you have a tooth that could benefit from having a crown placed.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is essentially a cap for the biting surface of your tooth. It can be made out of many different materials, although our office favors porcelain since it’s a highly durable material that can be shaded so that it resembles your natural teeth as closely as possible.
Compared to other restorations, crowns are highly versatile and can be used in a variety of situations. For example:
- They can be used to protect severely decayed teeth from further infection.
- They can hold together and strengthen broken teeth.
- They can restore teeth that have received root canal therapy so that they can still be safely used to bite and chew.
- They can be placed on dental implants in order to replace missing teeth.
- They can improve the appearance of misshapen or discolored teeth.
The Dental Crown Process
Traditional dental crowns aren’t placed in just one visit. The process consists of multiple appointments and several steps. Here’s what you can expect to happen when getting a crown:
- During your first visit, we’ll need to examine your mouth to confirm that a dental crown truly is the best option for repairing it. If it is, we’ll walk you through the process before proceeding to the next step.
- We will need to remove a thin layer of enamel from the tooth in question. This is to ensure that there’s enough room for the crown to be placed.
- After the tooth has been repaired, we will capture an impression of it. Said impression will be sent to a laboratory, which is where your permanent crown will be made. We’ll give you a temporary crown to protect your tooth in the meantime.
- Once we’ve received the permanent crown, we’ll call you back to our office. We’ll then take off the temporary crown and put the permanent one in place.
- Finally, we’ll explain the best way to properly care for your new restoration so that you can help it last as long as possible.
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown
There’s a reason why we recommend dental crowns for a wide variety of oral health issues. These restorations carry a wide array of benefits, and that includes:
- Allowing you to continue to use the restored tooth to chew many different foods.
- Lowering the risk of existing oral health problems growing worse.
- Saving natural teeth from needing to be extracted.
- Offering a lifespan of over 15 years while requiring only simple maintenance.
- Restoring your smile in a way that looks natural.