Beautiful Smiles Can Be Restored With Porcelain Crowns
Posted by admin on December 17th, 2011A porcelain crown is a cap made of porcelain that completely covers a tooth. Crowns are a form of dental restoration. They return teeth to their optimal working order and appearance. Crowns come in a range of materials, including gold, other metals, and various combinations of ceramics and metal. Porcelain crowns are popular because they closely resemble the look of natural teeth. The look of these crowns is so natural that most people cannot even tell the difference between normal teeth and teeth that have been treated with porcelain crowns.
A person might come to need a porcelain crown for many reasons. Porcelain crowns are called for in many cases of accidental damage. If a person falls and breaks his or her tooth, then the only viable way to repair the damage may be with a porcelain crown. Porcelain crowns are also often used to repair serious tooth decay. If a cavity is too large to be filled with traditional means, the best option may be to remove the decayed parts of the tooth and to install a porcelain crown. Porcelain crowns are also occasionally used for purely cosmetic reasons, such as to cover up severe stains or abnormally developed teeth. Many purely cosmetic issues can be treated with more conservative treatments, however, so patients should always carefully explore each option with their dentists.
To begin the process of a porcelain crown, the dentist will remodel your tooth’s structure to accommodate the new restoration. A skilled dentist will make sure this process is as comfortable for the patient as possible. After the tooth structure has been altered, then the dentist may use CAD-cam technology to design and mill a new crown while you wait or he may take impressions to send to a dental lab which will make the crown. If it is a same-day crown the new restoration will be cemented onto the altered tooth structure at your first appointment. If the dentist utilized an offsite dental lab to make the crown, then a temporary crown will be fabricated and placed until you return when the new crown is ready.
Patients often feel a boost of confidence when they reveal their new smiles to the world, and the life cycle of porcelain crowns is quite long. Most dentists give an estimate of ten good years before a patient’s porcelain crown will likely need to be replaced. In many cases, this number is a conservative estimate. Porcelain crowns have been known to last much longer than a decade with the right care and attention. In some cases they might even last a patient’s entire lifetime. While porcelain crowns are not quite as strong as natural teeth are, they still accomplish the same tasks effectively. Patients can expect to eat and drink the same things as they ate before their porcelain crowns were installed.
Dr. Mark Matsumoto is the owner of Grandview Center for Dentistry, an Edina Cosmetic Dentistry office. Dr. Matsumoto is an experienced dental professional, specializing in high-quality, custom-made Porcelain Crowns.