A crown is a dental cap that fits over your natural tooth. Crowns can be made of porcelain, resin, or metal, and they serve many purposes. You might consider a crown for purely cosmetic reasons, or you might need one to protect a tooth.
Kevin Miller, DDS, and our team at Dentistry in Paradise in Santa Barbara, California are experts when it comes to crowns. Here, we share three reasons you might consider getting a dental crown.
These dental restorations reinforce weakened or damaged teeth well. If you have a tooth with a large cavity, a crack, or other structural damage, crowns provide protection that prevents further deterioration.
Dentists also use crowns after you have a root canal to help preserve and protect your tooth.
Dental crowns aren’t just for restorations. They also address several cosmetic concerns, including permanent discoloration, misshapen teeth, or gaps. This might come as a surprise, especially if you think of crowns only as metal coverings on teeth.
While crowns can be made of metal, there are more aesthetically pleasing options. Porcelain, for example, mimics your teeth’s natural translucence and can be color-matched to your teeth so they blend in nicely.
In addition to choosing the type of material that your crown is made of, you can also customize the look of your crown. Every part of your crown is customizable. Crowns can be made to match the color, shape, and size of your surrounding natural teeth.
Your dental crown can also help replace a missing tooth (or teeth). Crowns are an important part of both dental bridges and dental implants. In the case of a bridge, a prosthetic tooth is supported by two crowns on each side of your tooth gap.
In the case of an implant, your crown is the finishing touch to your implant. An abutment connects your crown to the titanium post that your dentist surgically implants into your jaw. Over 2.3 million implant-supported dental crowns are fabricated each year, according to the American College of Prosthodontics.
In both cases, your crown helps restore the form and function of your mouth, boost your self-esteem, and help you speak clearly.
Typically, the process for getting a crown is a two-appointment process, with your crown fabricated in a third-party lab. Dental crowns beautifully restore the health and function of your teeth, but waiting weeks for your permanent crown isn’t fun.
The good news is that when you go with CEREC® same-day dental crowns, you receive a beautiful crown in just one appointment.
CEREC same-day crowns are constructed of ceramic. In fact, “CEREC” is a fusion of the two words: ceramic reconstruction. Same-day crowns utilize chairside technology to design and create your new crown digitally.
Dr. Miller uses computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD-CAM) to take digital images of your affected tooth, design your crown using advanced software, and then fabricate that crown — all right here in our office. Once your crown is made, we permanently place the crown in your mouth.
This process enables you to receive a crown in one day without the hassle of coming back for a second appointment or enduring messy physical impressions.
No matter why you’re considering a crown, Dr. Miller and the Dentistry in Paradise team can make the entire process even easier for you. That’s because we offer CEREC® technology same-day crowns.
This means you no longer have to wait for weeks to receive your permanent dental crown δΈ€ and that’s something to smile about! CEREC crowns, designed with advanced software and made of ceramic right in our office, take that second appointment out of the equation.
Note: If you’re receiving your crown as part of a dental implant, your process takes a little longer to account for implant surgery. If you have questions about your specific treatment plan or timeline, let us know.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller today to explore how crowns can be tailored to meet your dental needs. You can reach us at 805-967-0272 or through our online request form.
