How porcelain crowns and bridges can make you smile
When your tooth gets crowned, it’s not ascending the throne like King Charles. However, it is getting stronger and better looking!
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that we use to restore weak, broken, or decayed teeth. A crown fits over your entire tooth so precisely that it closely resembles a real tooth.
Depending on where the tooth or teeth being crowned are, crowns can restore your smile and, in many cases, make it even more impressive than before.
Of course, getting a custom porcelain crown fitted is not only for cosmetic purposes. A solid, strong, properly fitted crown ensures the stability of the teeth on either side and opposite it and, therefore, the overall alignment and ongoing health of your entire mouth.
When would you need a dental crown?
While a porcelain crown can improve the overall aesthetic appearance of your teeth and smile, there are several clinical reasons we might fit you with a dental crown, including:
- To strengthen a weak tooth.
- To protect and support a cracked tooth.
- To restore a worn-down or broken tooth.
- To hold a dental bridge in place.
- To cover a severely stained or discoloured tooth.
- To cap a root canal-treated tooth.
- As the top of a dental implant.
Why porcelain is a great material for dental crowns and bridges
There are many reasons, both cosmetic and clinical, why porcelain is an ideal material for dental crowns and bridges, including that:
- Porcelain crowns look natural and blend with the patient’s real teeth.
- Porcelain retains its natural-looking appearance in the mouth.
- Porcelain does not cause abrasiveness to nearby teeth.
- Porcelain is colour-matched so that it looks exactly like the rest of the teeth in the mouth.
- Porcelain crowns are customised to blend with the shape and texture of the patient’s natural teeth.
- Porcelain is stain-resistant, so the crown tends to stay the same colour regardless of what you eat and drink.
- Porcelain is extremely strong.
- Porcelain can protect damaged teeth from additional damage or decay.
- Porcelain is very low maintenance.
- Porcelain crowns are exceptionally comfortable.
- It’s extremely rare for patients to experience complications from porcelain crowns.
Getting a dental crown is a simple process
Once we decide that a crown is required, the entire process can be completed in just a couple of visits.
The first time you come to see us we’ll prepare the tooth for the crown by removing some of your natural enamel. This makes space for your new crown and ensures that it will stay in place once bonded.
Once we have created a strong foundation for your new crown, we take a digital scan of your teeth which we can send to a dental lab where a technician will use them to create your custom dental crown.
Because it takes 2 weeks for the lab to make your crown, we’ll fit you with a temporary crown to cap the tooth in the interim.
When your new crown is ready, we’ll have you come in for a second visit to remove the temporary crown and fit the permanent one, using a strong dental cement to keep it firmly in place for many years of happy chewing and smiling.
While the process of making and fitting a crown takes a couple of visits a few weeks apart, once your crown is in, you’re pretty much ready to go.
Dental crowns are long lasting
With proper care and maintenance, dental crowns can last upwards of 30 years. The average lifespan of a dental crown is five to 15 years, depending on how much use it gets. A crown on a tooth that does a lot of chewing is going to wear more than one that doesn’t.
Like your natural teeth, a good dental care regimen will help keep your dental crown in good condition. So continue to brush your teeth at least twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste and soft-bristled toothbrush and floss between your teeth once every day.
Regular dental cleanings and exams will also help to prolong the life of your porcelain crown.
It might be a good time to get that crown
If you haven’t used the rebate allowance provided by your private health insurance for the dental category, it’s well worth considering getting a crown before the cap resets at the end of the year.
In fact, if there is any dental work that you’ve considered but not committed to, knowing that you’ll get a substantial rebate from your insurer might be a good reason to “bite the bullet” (please, never bite a bullet)!
However, if you don’t have insurance, don’t worry. Like all of Middleborough Dental Care’s fees, you’ll find the cost of a porcelain crown is very reasonable for those with no health insurance.
Give us a call to book your next appointment to find out how Dr Nicole and Dr Alice can best help you keep your teeth healthy, strong, and beautiful for life.
Whatever your dental needs, clinical or cosmetic, we look forward to seeing you soon.