The enamel that covers your teeth is the hardest tissue in the body. That doesn’t mean that it will never break; it only means that your teeth, by nature, are strong. If, however, you somehow bite on something hard, or get hit in the face, one or more of your teeth may chip or break. Teeth are especially vulnerable if they have not been cared for optimally and already have some amount of decay.
When a tooth gets chipped or broken, you have to see a dentist immediately. If this isn’t done soon enough, severe consequences may arise, including functional compromises and infection. The latter can spread to the head and neck, leading to serious health problems.
At the dental office, the affected tooth and the surrounding ones will be cleaned and prepared for treatment. One of the solutions for chipped or broken teeth is fitting a crown. WebMD gives a simple description of a dental crown as a cap in the shape of a tooth placed over a tooth.
Crowns are also used to protect weak teeth from breakage, hold together a cracked tooth or restore a worn down tooth. They are also used to complement other dental procedures, such as to hold a dental bridge in position or cover a dental implant.
Like many dental procedures, a consultation is the first step to determine whether fitting crowns is the best solution. If the damage is not that severe, veneers or direct composite bonding may be recommended instead. If these conservative treatment options won’t suffice, that’s when crowns are considered. If you live in the Raleigh area and need tooth restoration, you can consult a dentist in Raleigh, NC from the dental offices of Gover and Gover Dentistry to see if crowns are a good option for you.
The Clinical Procedure
When the dentist and patient decide to opt for dental crowns, the tooth is examined using X-rays to check the surrounding bone as well as its roots. In cases with extensive decay, severe injury or infection of the tooth pulp, a root canal treatment may be done first.
The experts at “Your Dentistry Guide” point out that this procedure generally takes a couple of visits. In the initial one, the examinations described above are done along with creating a molded impression of the tooth and the fitting of a temporary crown. The impression will be sent to a dental laboratory for the production of the final crown. After it’s completed, the new crown is bonded to the teeth.
Sources:
(Dental Crowns, WebMD, undated)
(Dental Crowns: Preserve Damaged Teeth with a Crown, Your Dentistry Guide, undated)
