Dental crowns are an effective solution for tooth restoration – they’re comfortable, natural-looking, improve chewing and speaking, and can increase your confidence following serious decay or damage. They’re also a mystery to most people. You may be scheduled for an appointment to receive a crown and have questions like, What the process looks like? Will it hurt? Is a crown hard to take care of? Read on to learn more about this treatment and what you can expect at your upcoming visit.
Step #1: Examination
Before any work begins, your dentist will examine the tooth and take X-rays if necessary to assess the extent of the damage and check the health of the root and surrounding bone. This will help them start designing your crown.
Step #2: Numb the Area
If everything looks good, it’s time to prepare the site for work. Your dentist wants you to be comfortable during the procedure, so numbing the area around the crown will be the first step. A local anesthetic like lidocaine or Novocain will be administered to ensure you don’t feel any pain while the dentist is working on your mouth.
Step #3: Damage Removal
Next, any damaged or decayed areas will need to be tended to. A dental drill is used to chip away at these problematic spots, and while that may sound painful, bear in mind that you’ll be numb to the discomfort. Removing these affected places is crucial to restoring the health of the tooth and surrounding area. Once the decay has been drilled out, your dentist will clean the tooth to make sure it’s rid of any harmful material.
Step #4: Shaping
Your dentist will probably need to file, shave down, or remove part of the outer layer of the tooth so that the crown will fit onto it. This step is important because if the tooth isn’t filed down to the correct shape, it can affect the restoration’s fit. An ill-fitting crown can leave your bite misaligned, leading to wear and tear on your tooth enamel and stress on your jaw joints.
Furthermore, this shaping and sculpting creates the necessary room for the crown to fit.
Step #5: Make an Impression
Now that your tooth is all shaped up, bite impressions are ready to be taken to form a mold, and an order for your permanent crown will be sent to a laboratory to be fabricated. In the meantime, your dentist will fit a temporary crown over the tooth. Waiting for your new crown usually takes about 2 weeks.
Step #5: Crown Placement
After a couple of weeks, you’ll return to your dentist to have your final restoration placed. The permanent crown will be fitted and cemented, ensuring a proper fit and bite. Your dentist may make minor adjustments to the crown for comfort and proper function like eating and speaking.
It’s normal to worry about a dental procedure you haven’t had before, but millions of people receive crowns every day and agree that it’s not a big deal. When all is said and done, you’ll have a crown to restore your smile and everyday actions!
About the Practice
Here at Capron Park Dental, our team can see to all your dental needs, whether it’s preventive, cosmetic, or emergency dentistry that you’re seeking. With more than 350 five-star reviews, we pride ourselves on treating your entire family with the utmost personalized care and attention. We even have our therapy dog, Bronco, to ease your dental anxiety! Have questions about your upcoming appointment to receive a crown? Just give us a call at our Attleboro office at (508) 222-5950 or visit our website.