Dental crowns are tooth-colored caps, usually made of a material like porcelain, placed on the top of a tooth. Following a restorative dentistry procedure like a root canal, dental crown treatment in our Dallas, TX office can restore tooth function and appearance. When decay in a tooth is so advanced that we must remove large portions of the tooth, crowns can restore the tooth.
Crowns also attach bridges and cover dental implants. Dental crowns can prevent a cracked tooth from worsening or an existing filling is in jeopardy of becoming loose or dislocated. We can also use dental crowns to restore a discolored or stained tooth to its natural appearance. No matter your type of tooth damage, a crown can likely help restore the shape and shade of your natural tooth.
What Can Dental Crowns Treat?
Tooth crowns provide extra support to damaged teeth and help secure dental restorations. Crowns can cover:
- Large fillings: A large filling can compromise your tooth. If a filling is too large, it can break your tooth. Covering a large filling with a crown holds your natural tooth together and prevents injury.
- Cracked or fractured teeth: A crown fully covers and protects damaged teeth from additional wear or breaks in the enamel. The crown also helps ensure an even bite if you have worn teeth.
- Teeth after a root canal: We often recommend crowns if you have worn or weakened teeth following a root canal. A root canal removes infected pulp from a tooth, which can impact the tooth’s structural integrity. As with damaged teeth, a crown helps strengthen a tooth.
- Single dental implants: A crown can cap off a single dental implant. We recommend single implants for patients only missing one permanent tooth. The cap is color-matched to other remaining teeth for a natural look.
- Natural teeth that support dental bridges: A traditional bridge uses support from natural teeth on either side of a missing tooth gap. These natural teeth require crowns for extra support.
Dental crowns can also offer many benefits to our patients:
- Tooth-colored, natural-looking results
- Improved bite function
- Long-lasting treatment
If you have damaged, worn, or discolored teeth, ask us about crowns. Crowns can change the shade, shape, size, and alignment of teeth for a more consistent, balanced look.
Types of Crowns
Crowns use a variety of materials to offer strength and aesthetics to your smile. There are many types of tooth crowns dentists use, including:
- Metal: Traditional crowns use gold or metal alloys that contain nickel, tin, copper, and other metals. While these crowns are strong, they stand out. Even when metal crowns cover teeth in the back of the mouth, like the molars, they are noticeable when you open your mouth.
- Porcelain: Crowns made of porcelain are color-matched to the shade of other natural teeth. Porcelain is also a highly strong material that can withstand regular biting and chewing.
- Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM): PFM crowns consist of metal covered by a layer of porcelain. These crowns look natural and support your natural bite. However, the metal portion of the crown can show at the gum line, particularly if you experience gum recession.
- Ceramic: Ceramic crowns are commonly used to create same-day crowns. Like porcelain, ceramic is color-matched to the shade of natural teeth. At the same time, ceramic crowns will not last as long as porcelain crowns.
- Zirconia: These crowns use zirconium dioxide, a highly durable material. However, they cost more than other types of crowns. Additionally, because of their hard materials, they can potentially damage other teeth.
Our office prefers porcelain crowns because they look natural and offer durable results. These crowns use top-quality materials to renew the function and appearance of your teeth.
Dental Crown Treatment in Dallas, TX
We will prepare teeth to accommodate a crown. Then, we make a dental impression from the existing tooth to create a custom-designed crown. We send this impression to a special lab that manufactures a custom-designed crown. Sometimes, we will apply a temporary crown until the permanent crown is ready. Finally, we cement the permanent crowns in place.
Crowns are sometimes confused with veneers, but they are quite different. We typically recommend veneers for relatively small areas of damage. Our office may recommend treatments like veneers if patients have damage or discoloration to the front of their teeth. Dental crowns will fully cover and protect teeth.
Caring For Your Crowns
A good-quality crown could last up to and over eight years with proper care. Flossing in the crown area is essential to avoid excess plaque or debris collection around the restoration.
Certain behaviors, such as jaw clenching or bruxism (teeth grinding), significantly shorten the life of a crown. Moreover, eating brittle foods, ice, or hard candy can compromise the crown’s adhesion or damage your crown.
While crowns are highly durable, you can damage them like your natural teeth. If you have a loose or damaged crown, please contact our office. We can provide a replacement. You can risk infection if bacteria reach the tooth beneath your crown.
What are Inlays and Onlays?
Also known as partial crowns, inlays and onlays cover a smaller tooth portion. An inlay covers the chewing surface of the tooth between the tooth’s sides or cusps. Onlays cover the entire top of the tooth, including the tooth sides.
Like crowns, inlays and onlays are separate pieces that bond to the tooth. Inlays and onlays also use tooth-colored materials like ceramic. To provide these treatments, we will take dental molds of your teeth. Then, we will use bonding material to adhere the inlay or onlay to your tooth.
Restore Damaged Teeth
Do you need a tooth crown? Call Henderson Family Dental for dental crown treatment in Dallas, TX, today at 214-253-4868. You can also schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Nguyen online.
Contact our office if you are unsure if a dental crown or other restoration is right for your dental problems. We will examine your smile and determine the proper treatment for you. Our office serves patients from Old East Dallas, Lakewood, and Uptown.