Missing teeth can significantly impact your health and quality of life, affecting everything from how you eat and speak to your confidence level in social interactions. Working with your dentist to restore missing teeth is an exciting opportunity to revitalise your smile and boost your self-esteem.
While there are many options for how to restore your teeth, one of the most popular is dental crowns. Learn about the various materials available for your dental crowns at No Gaps Dental and determine whether tooth crowns are the right restorative dentistry option for you.
What are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are an indirect restoration process used to repair a single tooth damaged through disease, decay, or injury. A crown helps restore your tooth’s function and appearance, mimicking tooth enamel and providing a protective structure around the natural tooth underneath.
If 50% or more of your tooth has damage or erosion, your dentist may recommend a crown rather than attempting to fill a cavity or perform other repairs on the tooth’s structure or enamel.
Tooth crowns are shaped to fit over your existing teeth and blend in naturally. They protect the tooth underneath from further damage or erosion and restore the appearance of your smile and your oral health.
A dental crown can be made of porcelain, ceramic, gold, or other metal alloys. At No Gaps Dental, we offer traditional porcelain crowns and CEREC (ceramic). The main difference between the materials is cost. Porcelain tooth crowns more closely resemble real teeth, so this is a popular choice for placing crowns over the front “smile teeth”.
How to Restore Your Teeth Using Dental Crowns?
Most dental crown procedures require two appointments. In your first appointment, the dentist prepares your tooth for the crown and may place a temporary crown. You’ll receive a local anaesthetic to numb the affected tooth. After the anesthetic takes effect, your tooth enamel is shaped to smooth out any ragged edges along the tip and make it easier to place a crown over the tooth.
After shaping the tooth, your dentist takes an impression and sends that mould to a dental lab where they’ll make your permanent tooth crown. If you are getting a porcelain crown made, your dentist will also need to colour match the shade of the crown to your teeth’s enamel.
You’ll receive a temporary crown at this first appointment to use while your permanent crown is being manufactured. This temporary crown also protects your prepared tooth, which may be sensitive following the appointment. A removable adhesive is used to attach the temporary crown, which can be easily taken out at your next appointment. The temporary dental crown will not be as strong as your permanent crown.
It may take a couple of weeks before your permanent dental crown is ready for placement. You will have to come back for a second appointment to take the temporary crown off and place your permanent tooth crown.
If there are problems with the fit or adjustments are needed, your crown will be sent back to the dental lab, and your dentist will place the temporary crown back in your mouth. If this happens, you will need a third appointment for the final fitting of your corrected tooth crown.
Same-Day Placement
Newer technology helps speed up a crown’s fabrication and fitting. CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Crowns) uses computer-assisted machines to quickly design and construct your crown. The entire process is carried out in our practice during one appointment.
With same-day crown placement, your dentist will prepare your natural tooth for the crown and take digital scans of your mouth. This information goes to a CAD computer program that sends your custom design specifications to a milling machine onsite.
The milling machine cuts your dental crown to the perfect shape and fit for your mouth in just 15 minutes. Your dentist can fit the permanent crown in your mouth the same day, with the entire process taking roughly one hour.
No Gaps Dental is excited to offer CEREC same-day crowns treatment to our patients at some of our locations across New South Wales. If you’re wondering how to restore your teeth quickly, CEREC is the ideal solution. To learn more about how to restore your teeth with CEREC, talk to your dentist about whether ceramic crowns are right for you.
After Dental Crown Placement
After tooth crowns are placed, pay attention to your bite and comfort. If the crown feels too tall compared to your other teeth or you can’t bite down naturally, contact your dentist to adjust the crown.
Your dental crown may feel loose or fall out if your dentist did not use enough cement during the final placement. Tooth crowns should be secure and unmoving; if your crown wiggles in your mouth, call your dentist to adjust the fit.
Some crown materials, like porcelain, are more prone to chipping. Avoid chewing hard foods or ice to prevent cracks or chips from forming on your dental crown. If small chips do occur, your dentist may be able to repair your crown. Otherwise, it will need to be replaced.
After a tooth crown’s initial placement, your mouth may be more sensitive to hot or cold foods and drinks. This is normal, and you can use a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth to help ease any oral discomfort.
If you grind or clench your teeth at night, ask your dentist about getting fitted for a nightguard. This protects your dental crown from damage while you sleep. It’s important to care for your crown like you would the rest of your teeth to ensure its longevity.
How to Restore Your Teeth With No Gaps Dental?
If you’re unhappy with your smile or you need to fix a damaged tooth, a dental crown procedure might be right for you. No Gaps Dental offers restorative dental services and cosmetic treatments throughout New South Wales, with unparalleled friendly dental care. We can provide traditional dental crowns and use the latest technology to offer same-day CEREC services.
Contact our practice today on (02) 8806 0227 to book a consultation.