As we get older there is just a unavoidable wear and tear that affects our teeth.ﾠ There are lots of things one can do to prevent this, but in many cases damage will occur no matter what we do.ﾠ Our tooth enamel gets chipped, our teeth rot, we lose fillings and all of these things degrade out teeth structure.
So, if you are experiencing these problems, having dental crowns might just be what the dentist ordered.ﾠ
Before you have dental crowns you should make sure that you are a proper candidate for the procedure.ﾠ Usually all this takes is a trip to your dentist for a consultation.ﾠ Most dentists are more than happy to see patients who are considering this procedure, as it is one of the more lucrative parts of their practice.
Your cosmetic dentist will usually be able to spot problem areas in your mouth that might lead to tooth damage and a need for crowns. Chewing patterns play a big role as well. By selectively grinding the tips of your middle and back teeth (called cusps) will alter your bite to reduce the stress on at-risk teeth.
In other cases your dentist will want to replace the tooth entirely.ﾠ This procedure is slightly more radical and the recovery time will be slightly longer.ﾠ If this is the case you should try and book off a little time from work, just so you can recover in the comfort of your own home.
Your cosmetic dentist will make an impression of the tooth and a dental laboratory will create the crown. You will typically leave the office with a temporary crown to wear while the permanent crown is being made - this takes about two weeks. The permanent crown is then cemented onto your tooth. Typically, only two visits are required for this part of the procedure.
After the procedure has been finished you can reasonably expect the crown to last 12 to 15 years.ﾠ They ma last longer, but you should budget that amount of time just to be safe.ﾠ Proper maintenance after before and after dental crowns is still your beast weapon against tooth degradation.
Be sure to discuss with your cosmetic dentist that the cement color used for your permanent crown will be the same as used for your temporary crown. A try in paste is used for this purpose. The color of the cement does affect the overall color of a porcelain crown, so this needs to be discussed long before your temporary crown is placed.
So when you are contemplating dental crowns make sure that they are the right option for you and that you are willing to deal with the recovery and maintenance period.
