Dental Crowns
To treat a highly decayed or broken tooth
Cracked, chipped or decayed teeth? Crowns or caps are the versatile solution. Visit our Los Gatos dental office to learn how we can help with your dental caps.
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Dental Crowns
Dental crowns, or more popularly known as dental caps, are known to be the most versatile type of dental restorations. They can be used to treat several oral conditions such as broken, cracked, chipped, or excessively spaced teeth. They can also restore teeth that are badly worn out or too weak to sustain themselves; i.e in the case of a root canal infection.
What Are Crowns Made From?
Dental crowns look just like a regular tooth but are hollow on the inside. They can be made from a variety of materials such as silver, gold, and amalgam, but ceramic is mostly preferred and widely used. They are made from dental-grade, tooth-colored ceramic material, which can be customized to match the appearance of the adjoining natural teeth.
Uses Of Dental Crowns
Crowns can be used to restore teeth that are:
Cracked: A small hairline crack on a tooth may seem negligible, but it isn’t. As you bite and chew food, the crack could grow in size and depth, thereby potentially allowing the microbes in the mouth to enter the root canal cavity. It is recommended to get a cracked tooth restored using a crown as early as it is discovered.
Chipped or misshapen: When you bite something too hard, your teeth may chip to lose a certain edge. You may also have naturally misshapen teeth that are ruining your smile. It is best to get such teeth restored to have a flawless smile.
Excessively worn out: Bruxism is a sleep disorder where the patient ends up grinding their teeth subconsciously. The teeth may end up getting too worn out, thereby exposing the inner layers. Also, they would appear shorter than their normal length. They can be restored to their ideal shape and size using Dental Crowns.
Spaced too far apart: Spacing is a type of malocclusion where the teeth are spaced too far apart from each other. The gaps can make your smile appear displeasing, which is why crowns can be used to eliminate them.
What Is The Procedure To Get A Crown?
The procedure for placing a crown is quite simple. The dentist will visually examine your teeth and conduct a thorough diagnosis. A thin layer of enamel will be removed from the tooth to make space for the crown. The dentist then takes a highly precise digital mold of the prepared tooth and uses it as a reference to fabricate the crown. It will be sent to a dental laboratory where the crown will be made using dental-grade ceramic.
After the fabrication of the crown, the dentist will prepare the tooth for the bonding process by thoroughly cleaning it. It will be etched using an etching solution so that its surface becomes rough. Photosensitive adhesives are used for the bonding process, which will then be hardened using a suitable curing light. It could even be polished to give it the right luster.
Please schedule an appointment online or call us at (408) 371-1070 to have a consultation with any of our Los Gatos Dental Group dentists, and we will be happy to help!
