What is a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns are tooth shaped “caps” placed over your tooth to restore its size, shape, strength, and appearance.
When do you need a dental crown?
You may need to undergo a dental crown procedure for several reasons, including: 1) To protect a weakened tooth, 2) To restore a broken or damaged tooth, 3) To restore a discolored tooth, 4) To protect a root canal, 5) To cover a misshapen tooth, or 6) To cover a dental implant
What to expect at your appointment.
The dental crown procedure typically happens over the course of two appointments. You might be wondering: does a dental crown hurt? While you may experience some sensitivity, Dr. Henry will likely give you an anesthetic, just like he would with a filling.
Your first appointment: Dr. Henry will examine the tooth and prepare it for a crown. He’ll also take X-rays of the tooth and surrounding bone and reduce the tooth. The amount of reduction will depend on the type of crown you’re receiving—for instance, metal crowns do not need as much tooth removed as porcelain crowns. In some cases, you might need a root canal if there is a risk of infection, tooth decay, or injury to the tooth’s nerves or blood vessels (also known as pulp).
Once the tooth reduced and ready, Dr. Henry or his assistant will scan the prepared tooth and the teeth opposite it to be sure the crown fits appropriately. At this point, the scan is sent to a lab to create the crown, which takes about two to three weeks. We will give you a temporary crown to wear to protect your teeth between your first and second visit.
Your second appointment: Now it’s time to get your crown placed. Dr. Henry will remove your temporary crown, check the color, shape, and fit of your new crown, and permanently cement it in place. Dr. Henry might choose to use a numbing agent to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible.
