A dental crown is generally recommended when a tooth has sustained significant damage due to decay or impact. "A crown is the best restorative procedure your dentist can provide for a tooth," says Dr. Judith Ko from her Hemet, California general and cosmetic dental practice.
A filling is recommended when the decay is limited in scope, but once several surfaces of the tooth are involved, there may be little structure for a filling to adhere to. "Not only that, but with so much damage many times the nerve of the tooth is impacted or could be if additional tooth is lost due to breakage," Dr. Ko adds. Placing a crown may actually prevent the need for a future root canal treatment.
To have a crown done means a couple of appointments. At the first appointment your dentist will carefully clean out all the decay. A build-up may be recommended if there is very little tooth left to create something for the crown to fasten to. An impression will be taken of the tooth, which will be sent to a laboratory for the custom creation of your crown. A temporary or provision crown will then be created in the office to provide you with protection while the permanent crown is being fabricated. Two to three weeks later, your final crown will be ready. At this second appointment, your temporary crown will be removed and the final crown cemented in place.
After that, its ready to be brushed and flossed, just like all your other natural teeth.
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