Emma Kalman
With a dental crown procedure, they will use a dental crown that is custom-made and will also be a permanent restoration. It’s a hollow tooth shape or cap that is placed over the prepared natural tooth. A crown, once they cemented it into place, will cover the entire tooth which lies above your gum line.
Crowns can also be used with implants to replace your missing teeth, which you have lost due to an accident, decay or disease. Dental implants, is when they insert into your jawbone, an artificial root that will hold and support the crown. These implants are normally done when there is no root or natural tooth to do so.
The main purpose for getting a crown will be to restore functionality, strength, size and shape of your tooth, as well as improving its appearance. These are some of the situations when a crown will be needed:
Protecting a tooth that cracked or has become weakened from decay. It will hold the tooth together and prevent it from breaking. Replacing a failing or broken old tooth filling or restoring that already broken tooth.
To restore the length on worn down teeth, through grinding!
If there is not much of the natural tooth structure that is left, it will support and cover the tooth with a large filling. In the case of cosmetic modification, such as rotating teeth, reshaping and to close spaces between the teeth! Crowns are normally used to cover dental implants and to hold dental bridges in place.
It also will be recommended when a tooth has undergone a root canal therapy, to restore its strength. A crown doesn’t only enhance the appearance of your tooth, but it will protect it from any further breakdown and wear.
The gaps that are left in your mouth from a missing tooth will eventually cause all of the surrounding teeth to rotate of shift into that empty space. This can cause malocclusion or bad bite, which will negatively impact on your diet. Another problem is that it can cause bone deterioration in your jaw as well as TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders. Therefore, it will always be advisable to discuss any tooth replacement options with the dentist, such as crowning and implanting. It will be much better than to leave the gaps in dentition.
Numbing of the tooth
The initial step of a crown procedure will be to use local anaesthetic on your gums. This will numb the tooth roots and also the surrounding tissues. Even if you had previous gone through a root canal procedure, the dentists will most likely still use anaesthetic. The devices used will come in close contact with the tissue.
Alginate impressions
The alginate impressions of the lower and the upper dental arches will be taken. These are used to create a model made from stone of your teeth. These models are forwarded to the laboratory in order to make the crown.
A temporary crown is made by taking a print or impression of the teeth surrounding your tooth that requires crowning. As well as the opposite arch before preparing the tooth. With this they will fabricate the temporary crown that you will wear until the permanent one arrives.
Your dentist then uses the shade guide after the impressions are finished to record the precise colour of the tooth. If the front teeth are involved, you might be asked to call on the laboratory. This is so that the technician can make a custom shade of all the adjacent teeth. However, if you selected a gold crown the tooth shade won’t need to be determined.
Preparing of the tooth
This will involve the taking out of very specific amounts of the tooth and tooth filling material of said tooth that necessitates the crown. It might occur that they will discover some decay below the old filling. In this case they will remove all the decay and place a compound core on the tooth. The same will be done if you have had a current root canal.
Once your dentist completed the core, he will continue shaping your tooth until a fine edge is created around the tooth’s entire core. He will continue to reduce the surface where your bite is, until sufficient filling and tooth has been extracted from the core. This phase is generally crucial and will take most of the time required to complete.
The final impressions
The dentist will take the impression of your teeth as soon as the tooth is prepared. He will apply around the tooth a material called polyvinyl siloxane to make the impression. The assistant will fill the tray used for the impression with the same material.
This impression tray will now be inserted over the ready tooth and you will have to bite on it. It’s very important to continue biting the impression tray until it's fully set, which can take between 3 and 5 minutes. Once it’s set, it will be remove, your dentist will make sure that there are no presentable air bubbles, as well as any other invalid impression. If there is any you might have to do it over until it’s accurate.
The temporary crown
Transitory crowns are important, because of the considerable amount of structure that the dentist removed from your prepared tooth. This crown will act as a barricade to keep the primed tooth in place otherwise it might shift. With any movement of the prepared tooth it will cause the crown to not fit.
Without your temporary crown the tooth will be hypersensitive to any pressure and temperature. The temporary cement contains eugenol, which generally is used for its soothing effect on the tooth nerve. It’s vital that you follow the postoperative directives for a transitory crown. If it comes off, make sure to call the dentist in order to arraign for it to be re-cemented.
The permanent crown
The dentist will first numb your tooth with anaesthetic before he will extract the temporary crown. The tooth will be properly cleaned and dried before the permanent one will be positioned on the tooth. The dentist will check on the contacts between teeth with dental floss to make sure that the space is correct. If the contact is overly tight, you won’t be able to floss. If there is no contact, foodstuff might lodge itself in between causing potential for tooth deterioration.
Once the dentist is satisfied that the crown fit is correct, he will start with the concluding cementation. Your mouth needs to be isolated from water or saliva when this process is started. To keep the area dry, cotton rolls will be settled in on both sides of your tooth. A numbing agent will be placed onto your tooth to help with post operative sensitivity.
A connection material will be placed on the ready tooth. When it’s set, the permanent crown that is filled with cement will be placed on the tooth. Any excess cement will be removed with floss among the teeth and a scaler will be utilized to eliminate cement from below the gum line and around the tooth.
To check your bite
The permanent cement will take about ten minutes to set, after which the dentist will check the bite of your as they come together. On the opposing tooth, tall spots of the crown will be condensed. It’s essential to have the correct bite, because if it is too high, it may cause tooth pain and sensitivity.
It’s imperative to continue a firm oral hygiene that will include specialized cleanings for the crown, flossing and brushing. If you have any questions regarding dental crowns, the procedure, benefits and even cost, talk to your dentist.
After the excess cement is cleaned off the tooth, the dentist will make sure your bite is precise. For your new crown, your dentist may give detailed post-operative directions to you. It will be important to adhere to these instructions.
The biggest change will be what you are allowed to eat. You should avoid nuts and candy because it can be very damaging to your crowns. After a dental crown procedure, you should call the dentist immediately if you notice something unfamiliar about your crown.
