Placing Dental Crowns
Tulsa, OK
 The dentist fits a crown to protect the tooth from breaking or simply keep it together if areas of it are cracked. Besides, dental crowns are needed for restoring a severely worn-down tooth or a broken one. Though dental crowns have various uses, the application process is similar.
When you come to Smiles of Tulsa for crown placement, our dentist will get you through the required steps. There, however, may be variations in the steps depending on what oral issue is being addressed and the kind of crowns you are receiving. For same-day crowns, for instance, you do not need to get temporary crowns.
Types of Crowns
You can choose from an array of crown materials. There are porcelain or all-ceramic crowns. There are also all-metal and porcelain-fused-to-metal. Composite resin crowns are also available but are not as strong as metal or ceramic crowns. Longevity, durability, stability, and the ability to blend in with real teeth, are among the many benefits of ceramic crowns. Having said that, here is the typical crown placement procedure.
Examination
A dentist examines the tooth meant to get the crown. X-rays may be recorded where they show the status of the tooth in the inside areas. Those x-ray images may detect pulp damage or interior decay.
Removing Infected or Damaged Area
If there is tooth decay, risk of infection, or injury to the tooth pulp, the dentist does root canal treatment. Root canal therapy involves drilling the tooth to remove the decayed or infected pulp and cleaning it. Once cleaned, the dentist fills and seals the tooth using a special material, making it ready for crown placement.
Shaving Down the Tooth
The tooth is also prepared by shaving it down so that the crown can fit closer and exactly on the tooth. The amount of enamel being shed off depends on what crown is being used. Porcelain crowns require more enamel to be shaved down compared to all-metal crowns that are thinner and need little enamel filed down.
If a tooth is damaged or decayed and misses part of its structure, the dentist can rebuild it using filling material. This way, it would have sufficient tooth structure to allow proper crowning.
Taking Impressions
Our dentist will get molds or impressions of the tooth undergoing the crowning process. The impressions provide a model for making the crowns. A patient gets a provisional crown at this time and goes home.
Permanent Crown Placement
It is during the second appointment that you get your permanent crown. The dentist uncaps the temporary crown. The permanent crown is then capped over the tooth and checked to see that it fits uniformly. A dentist gives the patient a numbing drug to prevent pain.
Same Day Crowns
Instead of having temporary crowns, then coming back after two to three weeks for the placement of the final crown, you can have same-day crowns. These follow the same initial procedures, and when it comes to placing the crowns, it is done once. Only the permanent crowns are fitted, and that is it. You go home the same day with your restoration. Contact Smiles of Tulsa by calling (918) 891-3059 to book an appointment to meet our dentist and talk about dental crowns. |
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