Crowns Specialist

What is a crown?

A crown is a piece of metal, plastic, ceramic, or porcelain that covers a damaged tooth. It's shaped to look like the natural tooth and can strengthen the tooth and restore its appearance. The crown goes over the original tooth and is bonded into place, so the tooth is completely covered, from the gum line up.

Why would I need a crown?

Dr. Opperman may suggest a crown for many reasons. A crown can cover a dental implant or a discolored or oddly-shaped tooth.

In addition to making a natural tooth look better, a crown can provide support to a tooth. Crowns can strengthen teeth that are at risk of breaking or that have weakened as a result of large fillings.

Whether you need a crown for cosmetic reasons or to strengthen weakened or broken teeth, a dental crown can protect teeth.

What are the different types of crowns?

Dental crowns can be constructed from many materials, including:

• Gold or another alloy
• Porcelain fused to metal
• Ceramic

The material used depends on a range of factors. For example, stainless steel is usually the preferred material for temporary crowns. Stainless steel crowns are incredibly durable. Prefabricated stainless steel crowns are commonly used for children who need crowns on baby teeth.

Metal crowns are sturdy and able to withstand the force of biting and chewing, but because of their noticeable color, they're usually reserved for use on back molars.

Porcelain fused to metal crowns are more aesthetically pleasing than stainless steel crowns, but they aren't perfect. For instance, the opposing teeth may endure more wear than they would with other types of crowns, and the metal portion of the crown may show as a dark line near the gums.

All-ceramic crowns are the best option for men and women with metal allergies. All-resin crowns are cheaper than many other types of crowns, but more susceptible to wear and tear and therefore, cracking.

What's involved with a dental crown procedure?

Most of the time, a minimum of two visits are necessary for a dental crown procedure. During the first visit, your Joshua R. Opperman, DMD Family Dentistry professional takes some X-rays to determine the health of the tooth that needs a crown.

Next, Dr. Opperman will administer a local anesthetic, then file down or build up the tooth so that the crown can be attached properly. After that, he will use the iTero Element 2™ scanner to take an impression of your teeth. This optical scanner uses state of the art digital technology and provides a much more accurate impression of your teeth as opposed to a traditional putty mold. Your impression will then be sent to the lab and used to custom-make the crown. Dr. Opperman will create a temporary crown to protect your tooth until the permanent crown can be placed. Would you like to learn more about dental crowns? Think you might need a crown replaced?

Contact the experienced professionals at Joshua R. Opperman, DMD Family Dentistry or make an appointment online.