DENTAL CROWNS

One of the primary reasons a dental crown is recommended is to repair a tooth that has lost a large volume of its natural structure.

Dental Crown or Dental Filling?

You may be wondering, why can’t I have a dental filling instead of a dental crown? For teeth with small to medium areas of dental decay or cavities, a dental filling is normally used to fix the tooth. However, when a large tooth area needs to be repaired, a dental filling may fail if it is used. When eating, a large dental filling may not be strong enough to withstand the pressures exerted by chewing and biting food.

However, a dental crown is built to withstand extreme biting forces while eating. Your dentist may also recommend a dental crown to replace a larger dental filling if they notice signs that the dental filling is failing.

What Should I Expect?

A dental x-ray will be taken to determine the extent of the damage that has occurred to the tooth. To prepare the tooth for a dental crown, some of the tooth structures will be shaped so that the dental crown can be placed atop.

Once the tooth is shaped, a dental impression will be taken of the tooth so that a custom-made dental crown can be fabricated to precisely fit the tooth. The process of creating a custom-made dental crown that perfectly matches your existing teeth in terms of colour and shape takes a few days. To allow you to go about your life until the custom-made dental crown is ready, your dentist will typically place a temporary dental crown. When the permanent crown is ready, you will need to revisit your dentist to remove the temporary dental crown and replace it with the permanent crown.

Contact us if you think you need a dental crown.