Cosmetic dentistry is often a bit of a mystery to patients. If you’ve never had any dental prosthetics before, you may not know what to expect or why you should want them.
Dental crowns are a type of dental prosthesis that can really help to restore confidence in your smile.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at dental crowns.
What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is a hollow cap or crown, that functions as an artificial tooth. It is placed over a damaged or decayed tooth to restore its natural look and function while also protecting it from further damage. Crowns can also be used to cover misshapen or discoloured teeth. A tooth that has a dental crown looks and acts almost exactly like a natural tooth.
Dental crowns can be made of many different materials, such as:
Porcelain
Ceramic
Zirconia
Metal
Composite resin
Combinations of materials
The material selected for your crown will depend on a few factors, such as:
Location of the tooth
How much of the tooth shows when you smile
Position of your gum tissue
What function that tooth serves
The colour of the surrounding teeth
How Are Dental Crowns Made?
The first thing that happens is your tooth is prepared, often by removing a portion of the enamel and sometimes even the centre of the tooth depending on the level of damage or decay.
Once the tooth has been prepared, your dentist will create a model of the tooth and use that model to build a mould. That mould will be used to create the dental crown from the chosen material. The crown will be shaped like the tooth it’s replacing and may be tinted and polished to match your other teeth.
Metal crowns consist of a thin layer of metal covered by another material to create the tooth, whereas porcelain crowns are made to fit directly over the prepared tooth.
The crowns will be placed on the prepared tooth, with a strong dental adhesive being used to adhere the crown in place. The dental crown may be polished or reshaped slightly to ensure the best fit.
Benefits of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are a great option for replacing damaged teeth. They’re strong and durable and can last for 10 years or more if you take good care of them. They can restore your smile to its natural brilliance and even help prevent further damage to the tooth in question. You’ll also find that they can improve your chewing function.
How do you take care of them? Easy – just brush and floss like you would your natural teeth. You should also avoid biting down on hard objects or using your teeth to open things, as crowns might not be quite as strong as your natural teeth.
Visit Integrity Dental for Dental Crowns
At Integrity Dental, we offer comprehensive cosmetic dental services, including dental crowns, for patients who want to restore their smile to a natural look. No longer do you need to live with the shame of a broken and damaged tooth – just give us a call and we can book you in for an appointment that’ll have you smiling again in no time.
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