The Procedure for Getting Dental Crowns

When it comes to visiting a dentist, most patients worry over the pain levels. A lot of people with dental anxiety have it because of the notion of pain associated with dental procedures. While pain cannot fully be avoided, perhaps it is not enough reason to hold you back from having your dental health in check. Dental crowns, for instance, are easy to install. Your dentist can almost assure you of a comfortable procedure. However, to fully understand this, you must learn about the procedure, and how it is performed.

What Are Dental Crowns?

They are tooth-shaped oral appliances made of porcelain materials. The oral crowns are used for different roles in dentistry, ranging from tooth replacement to filling teeth. Technically, the oral crowns are made in such a way to cover the entire crown of a tooth. This is why dental crowns are sometimes known as dental cups.

One of the greatest advantages of tooth cups is that they are versatile. Their usage in dentistry is not limited to one dental procedure. Some of the areas where dental crowns are used in dentistry include the following:

1. Tooth replacement – losing an adult tooth is not exciting. If anything, it can get you overly concerned about the fate of your entire dental health. Problems like alignment problems and chewing problems are all possible consequences of losing teeth. Dental crowns are used to replace missing teeth through dental bridges. A dental bridge encompasses an artificial tooth and dental crowns. Depending on the type of dental bridge, one or two dental crowns are used.
2. Holding a dental filling – fillings are great for treating a decayed tooth. However, when the dental cavity is too large, a filling can easily crack a tooth. In that case, a dental crown is placed over it to hold the filling in place, preventing re-entry of bacteria.
3. Cracked and broken teeth – a crack on a tooth can sometimes be fixed with a dental crown.
4. Cosmetic use – cosmetic dentists use dental crowns to cover up some flaws on teeth. This can be tooth discoloration, spaces between teeth, unusually shaped teeth, to mention a few.

What Is the Procedure of Getting Dental Crowns?

Tooth crowns are installed in a rather simple process. It is a non-surgical procedure that involves attaching the shell-like tooth cap over the target tooth. The procedure happens in the following steps:

1. Tooth shaving – the enamel of your tooth has to be trimmed. This step in necessary to create room for the dental crown. Since the new crown will encapsulate your entire tooth, the dentist will remove as much enamel as necessary. This depends on the thickness of the dental crown.
2. Tooth impression – the dentist needs a mold of your newly trimmed tooth. The impressions taken are necessary for creating the perfect oral crowns for you. You then have to wait for your tooth crown to be developed in the dental laboratory. Meanwhile, the dentist will place a temporary crown in your mouth before yours is ready.
3. Dental bonding – this is the process by which the dentist will attach the crown to your tooth. Usually, special dental cement is used to bond the crown to your natural tooth. Lasers or other special lights can be used to cure the dental cement and completely attach the crown to your tooth.

Is the Process Painful?

The entire procedure of getting dental implants installed is painless. However, you may experience some discomfort when the dentist is trimming the enamel of your teeth. In that case, usually, dental experts use local anesthesia to numb your mouth for the procedure.

However, there are other issues that you can anticipate from your dental treatment. For one, tooth sensitivity is a big deal after the crown is installed. Since the enamel of your tooth has been trimmed, it is normal to experience some sensitivity on your tooth. The sensitivity should wear off after a short while. If not, talk to your dentist about changing the placement of the crown.

Summary

If you have been wondering whether or not you should get tooth crowns, then you have an answer now. Crowns have been used over the years, with several success stories. Consider talking to your dentist about your options, and whether or not oral crowns are the best alternative for you.