What to Expect From a Dental Crown Procedure
Posted on: 13 September 2017
Dental crowns are prosthetics which cover one part of your tooth. All human teeth are made up of a crown and a root. If the crown becomes chipped, fractured or is rotting away, then your dentist may recommend that a new artificial crown is fitted to protect the root underneath it. Unlike a filling, a crown or cap covers the damaged area entirely. They are often recommended following root canal work or because a patient has a cracked tooth. For some, they are fitted because they have a better appearance than other treatment options. Regardless of why you might need one, what can you expect from the procedure?
Material Choices
Your dental practitioner should discuss all of the materials available for crowns these days. Modern caps and crowns are made of gold or gold alloy. Stainless steel has been in use for some time as has porcelain. Other options that your dentist may offer you are composite resin, zirconia or porcelain which has been fused to metal on the interior. This last option offers excellent cosmetic qualities as well as durability.
The Fitting
Once a material has been chosen, the procedure for actually fitting a new dental crown will normally take two separate visits to your dental practitioner. At the first of the two appointments, your dentist will ensure that it the tooth in question is sufficiently strong to support a crown. If so, then he or she will file it down so that a smooth connection can be made with the crown. In the case of a damaged or broken tooth, it may be necessary to fill it so that it is sufficiently built up to properly receive the cap without it immediately falling off.
Either way, your first appointment should end with a temporary crown being put in place to protect the area that has been worked on until your second visit. When you return, the temporary crown will be removed. Following this step, a new custom-made crown will be attached to the tooth which ought to be much more in keeping with the rest of your teeth. A strong adhesive is used in order to make sure the crown remains in place permanently.
After the Procedure
Many patients report that a dental crown takes some getting used to before it feels like the old tooth did. This is quite common for all sorts of prosthetic work in the mouth where new additions tend to feel larger than they actually are. As your mouth gets used to the crown it should start to feel like the rest of your teeth. However, if you feel discomfort, then you should report this sooner rather than later.
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