How Dental Crowns Can Save Your Smile and Oral Health

How Dental Crowns Can Save Your Smile and Oral Health

March 1, 2024

If you have a severely damaged, discolored, or decayed tooth, you may feel self-conscious about your smile and have trouble with everyday activities like speaking and eating. You may also experience pain or discomfort when you chew certain foods. You don’t have to live with this problem. You can get restorative dental procedures like dental crowns to replace your missing or damaged teeth. This blog will tell you what dental crowns are and how they can help you.

What are dental crowns?

A dental crown, or fixed denture, is a dental device that covers the whole tooth and makes it look, feel, and function like a natural tooth. It also saves the tooth from further damage.

A crown is often used along with a root canal or dental filling when used to repair tooth damage. Besides saving a tooth, a crown can also support a traditional bridge or a dental implant. If you want a dental crown, you should make an appointment with our dentist in San Rafael, CA, for professional help.

Who Needs a Dental Crown?

Your dentist may suggest a crown in the following situations:

  • Protecting and strengthening a tooth with a large or old filling
  • Saving a tooth that is severely decayed
  • Repairing a tooth that has cracks, chips, fractures, or breaks
  • Improving the shape of a tooth that is misshapen
  • Completing a dental implant procedure
  • Supporting traditional or cantilever bridges
  • Preserving a tooth that is worn down
  • Enhancing the color of a tooth that is severely discolored, stained, or yellowed
  • Reinforcing a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment

What to Expect When Getting a Crown

Usually, getting a dental crown takes two visits. Before placing a crown, the dentist will check your teeth to see if a dental crown is right for you.

The dentist near you starts by numbing the area around the treatment area to keep you comfortable and pain-free when placing the crown. If the tooth is infected, the dentist can perform a root canal and dental filling before placing a crown. Then, the dentist will shave the tooth’s enamel to make the crown fit well.

If there is not enough structure, the dentist can rebuild the tooth to provide enough structure for the crown to hold on well. Impressions and records of your teeth and mouth are taken and sent to a dental lab to make the custom crown. A temporary tooth crown protects the prepared tooth. When the custom crown is ready, the temporary crown will be taken out and replaced with the permanent one.

Why you shouldn’t wait too long to get a crown

Some patients put off dental issues until they feel severe pain. But waiting too long can make the damage worse. Even though a crown is very effective, it still needs enough structure for the crown to hold on.

Also, waiting too long can cause the need for more procedures. For example, if the damaged tooth gets decayed, you’ll need a root canal to remove the infected pulp tissues. A filling procedure is needed to fill the empty space caused by the root canal treatment.

Finally, the dentist will suggest a tooth extraction if the tooth’s damage is too much to fix with a root canal, dental filling, or dental crown. Later, you can replace the tooth with a dental implant or bridge.

Why you shouldn’t wait too long to get a permanent crown after treatment

After a root canal treatment and other treatments, you’ll need to wait for a few weeks to get your permanent crown. In most cases, the dentist will put a temporary crown to protect the treated tooth. Make sure your temporary crown is in good condition until it’s replaced with a permanent crown. A broken temporary crown can make you more likely to get an infection in the tooth.

Also, if you wait too long to get a permanent crown after the first treatment, there’s a higher risk of a bacterial infection. In that case, you might need root canal retreatment to remove the infection again before placing a crown.

Make an Appointment Today

For more information about dental crowns in San Rafael, CA, contact San Rafael Dentistry to make an appointment. We are a caring and professional dental practice that wants to help you save your smile and oral health. We will help you choose the best type of crown for your situation and guide you through the whole process. We look forward to seeing you soon and giving you a reason to smile.

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