Dental Crowns

Purpose:

A dental crown is a tooth shaped cap that is placed over a tooth to restore its shape and strength or improve its appearance. Dental crowns protect weak teeth from breaking or to hold together a cracked tooth. They are also used for cosmetic purposes to cover discolored or misshapen teeth. For children, a crown can be used on primary (baby teeth) to protect teeth that are at high risk of decay or support a decayed tooth that requires a filling.

Procedure:

Preparing a tooth for a crown usually involves two visits. At the first visit, the tooth is reshaped to fit the crown. In this process, the tooth can either be shaved down to make room for the crown or, if decayed, built up with filling material to support the crown. The dentist will make an impression or a digital scan of the tooth receiving the crown and send it to a lab where the crown will be manufactured. The patient is given a temporary crown held in place with temporary cement until the dental lab sends the manufactured crown, which typically takes around 2-3 weeks. At the second visit, the dentist will remove the temporary crown and permanently cement the new crown from the lab in place.

Videos:

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-crowns#2
https://www.healthline.com/find-care/articles/dentists/dental-crown#the-procedure
https://delraydentalwellness.com/blog/types-dental-crowns-cost/