Dental Crowns Bullard

What Are Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a restoration that we place over the top of a damaged tooth to recreate the damaged portions of it and protect the remaining dental structures from additional damage. Crowns can be crafted from a variety of materials, including porcelain, EMAX, and, traditionally, metal alloys, but in most cases, we recommend using quality ceramic dental crowns due to their close-to-natural appearance.

How Dental Crowns are Used

We use dental crowns for a wide variety of restorative treatments, including:

• Repairing dental damage or decay
• Replacing lost dental fillings
• Protecting teeth after root canal therapy
• Perfecting cosmetically flawed or misshapen teeth
• Supporting a dental bridge
• Replacing a single tooth when attached to a dental implant

The Restoration Process

Dental crowns require two treatment visits in our Bullard dental office. The initial visit is the preparatory and treatment planning appointment. We begin by removing any damaged tooth structure. Then, a small amount of enamel is removed around the outside of the tooth. This makes it possible for the crown to fit over the tooth without creating crowding or changing the shape of the smile. Once teeth are prepared, we capture impressions that are used to design and craft your dental crown. Next, we place a temporary restoration to protect prepared teeth between appointments. Once we receive the final crown from our dental lab, you’ll return to our office for the second treatment visit. This appointment is much shorter. We’ll simply remove the temporary. Then, we place the flawless, custom dental crown.

Caring for Your Crown

Once your restoration is completed, proper oral health care is essential to ensure your new crown stays in place and functional as long as possible. This may include making some changes to the oral hygiene products you use on a daily basis. To avoid excessive dental wear, soft-bristle toothbrushes and minimally abrasive toothpastes are essential. You may also want to switch to using a waxed floss or water flosser to avoid pulling around the edges that can dislodge restorations. Other habits that can help you maintain your crown or bridge include the following:

• Avoid using your teeth to open packages
• Use nutcrackers to crack nuts – not your teeth
• Don’t chew on ice, your fingernails, or other hard objects
• Wear sportsguards during athletic events or practices
• Wear nightguards to protect your smile from teeth grinding and clenching