A dental crown, otherwise known as a cap, is a laboratory manufactured restoration that completely encases the tooth.
Dental crowns are designed to strengthen teeth that have become discoloured, fractured, decayed or have been heavily filled. They also provide extra support to teeth that have undergone a root canal treatment.
A dental crown procedure involves two separate appointments at our Armadale surgery:
- The first is to prepare the tooth by reducing and shaping it to receive the crown. We then take impressions that are used to create the crown. These impressions are sent to our specialist laboratory technicians with the information they require to create a beautiful dental crown that will restore the shape and contour of the natural tooth. We create and fit a temporary crown at the end of this appointment to protect the remaining tooth whilst the permanent crown is being manufactured by our lab. The laboratory generally takes about three weeks to create new dental crowns.
- The insert appointment involves removing the temporary crown and fitting the permanent crown onto your tooth with dental cement. In most cases the new crown requires some adjustment to ensure the bite remains comfortable.
The materials and techniques we use to create dental crowns are now so advanced that we can create a tooth that is not only extremely strong, but is aesthetically identical to the natural tooth structure.
Care is taken to choose the correct shade for the new crown at the preparation appointment, to guarantee it blends perfectly with the natural teeth. We often use digital photography at this point to assist us in matching the shade to the adjacent teeth or, if whitening is desired, a suitably complementary shade.
For further information about dental crowns, or any other restorative dental work, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at 818 Dental Armadale, Melbourne.