Porcelain crowns are tremendous options for preserving your natural tooth. Dental decay, gum disease, or trauma are common etiological factors that can damage your tooth. Dental crowns are an excellent way to restore them, thereby regaining their original form, function, and aesthetics.
Porcelain crowns provided by the dentist in East Charlotte, NC, are premium quality restorations with excellent finish, durability, and longevity.
An introduction to porcelain crowns
Porcelain crowns are customized, tooth-colored dental restorations that snugly fit over your damaged tooth, encasing it completely. They protect and strengthen your teeth that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations. They help by halting the disease progression and preventing any damage in the future.
Indications of porcelain crowns
Porcelain crowns have been the most common dental restorations over the years since they are used for the following reasons:
- Restoring broken or fractured teeth
- Restoring those teeth that are visible when you smile (for cosmetic concerns)
- Aesthetically enhancing your facial profile
- Repairing badly decayed teeth
- Replacing large fillings that are prone to frequent fractures
- Covering teeth that have undergone root canal therapy
Fabricating porcelain crowns is simple and painless
Porcelain crowns are simple to fabricate and involve 1 to 2 dental visits.
First appointment
- Your dentist may administer local anesthesia if the tooth is severely decayed or damaged to ease pain and discomfort.
- The affected tooth will be isolated using a rubber dam to prevent excess moisture.
- The decayed portion will be carefully excavated using ultrasonic instruments, and the tooth surface will be thoroughly cleaned.
- If the decay involves the pulp, your dentist may perform root canal therapy during the same visit to remove the inflamed pulp tissue and refill the root canals.
- Using rotary burs, your dentist will prepare the affected tooth to give a specific shape so the crown can provide an accurate fit.
- The rubber dam will be removed, and accurate oral impressions will be recorded. This provides a base for the dental technician to fabricate the crown in accordance with the other natural teeth and the bite.
- A temporary crown will be placed until the permanent crown is fabricated.
Second appointment
- The temporary crown will be removed, and your dentist will clean the tooth to remove any cement remnants.
- The porcelain crown will be placed, and the bite will be checked for high points and adjusted accordingly.
Summary
Porcelain crowns are fixed prosthetics that are permanently cemented onto your natural teeth with the purpose of covering a damaged, decayed, or chipped tooth. Crowns strengthen the tooth and improve alignment, and porcelain crowns can definitely improve the overall appearance and smile in general.
