Dental Crowns
Dental Crowns
Restoring your smile after any minor or severe dental issues have occurred is one of our specialties at Oak Hollow Family Dentistry. It is very important to us to provide our patients with the most stable and beautiful restorations possible. We often have patients in our office suffering from major cavities that cover the majority of the outer surface of the tooth or the enamel. Unfortunately, these cavities cannot be restored with a filling. Artificial tooth caps called a dental crowns are needed to restore full tooth function.
Making the Crown
One of the most common uses of a dental crown is to restore a tooth after a cavity. They are also used as an important piece of a dental implant procedure. Each crown is custom made to perfectly match your natural teeth in shade, size, and shape.
The process of making a crown includes taking impressions and making molds of your smile. Each mold will be used to calculate measurements of the porcelain crown so it fits perfectly in your mouth. Although the crown is an artificial tooth, it is made hollow so that it can be securely placed onto either the implant or the existing portion of the natural tooth.
The strong porcelain allows the dental crown to resist decay and cavities, but we still encourage excellent oral hygiene.
What Issues May Develop With Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are a great restorative treatment, but certain issues could develop while having a crown that patients should be aware of, including:
- Sensitivity: When a new dental crown is placed, you might start to feel sensitivity and discomfort as the anesthesia wears off. If you experience sensitivity when you bite down, this could mean your crown placement is too high. A high-set crown is an easy fix, please give us a call if you’re experiencing this.
- Loose Crown: Over time, the cement that holds the crown to the tooth can be washed out from underneath the crown, making it loose. This can cause bacteria to leak into the bottom portion of the tooth. If you believe your crown is loose, contact us immediately so we can replace the cement.
- Crown Falls Off: Dental crowns are a very sturdy restoration, but can sometimes fall off due to weak cement or misplacement. Although it is rare, if this occurs please hold onto the crown and bring it in to us for a re-cementation. Dental crowns can save patients money on extensive restorative procedures that would require an entirely new tooth. At Oak Hollow Family Dentistry here in Draper, Utah, we want to provide you with the most secure and beautiful restorations possible. Usually, your dentist will recommend a dental crown once after you are diagnosed with a large cavity that requires serious attention.
We encourage you to stay up-to-date with your bi-yearly appointments to help prevent serious issues and to get problems diagnosed early. Please give us a call if you are due for your appointment or if you currently have a crown and are experiencing issues.