Dental crowns are one of the most important tools a dentist has in their arsenal. They can take care of issues that are both cosmetic and restorative. Dr. Joyce Kim of Loyalsock Dental Associates discusses the many uses of Williamsport, PA dental crowns, and how they can benefit you.
What are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are made of high-quality dental ceramic or porcelain. They go over the entire tooth, almost acting like a cap. They’re designed to match the size, shape, and shade of your regular teeth, blending in with the rest of your smile. The lifelike materials used are polished and mimic the natural shine that your natural teeth have.
At Loyalsock Dental Associates, we’re proud to offer advanced CEREC technology that allows us to provide you with same-day dental crowns. Instead of using messy impressions, our CAD/CAM technology allows us to scan your mouth with a wand to get a digital impression. A 3-D model of your tooth is made and uploaded into the CEREC machine that will mill your tooth right in our office. We can place the crown on the same day!
Strengthening Natural Teeth
One of the main uses of a dental crown is to strengthen your natural teeth. Typically, this is done after you’ve had a root canal. With a root canal, the interior dental pulp is removed, creating a hollow tooth. While this is filled with a biocompatible material, we want to make sure that you have the full use of that tooth back. A dental crown helps to seal out any further infection and ensures you have full functionality.
Dental crowns can also strengthen teeth used to support a dental bridge. When a bridge is anchored with natural teeth, it causes advanced wear and tear. You also have a higher chance of developing tooth decay with those anchor teeth. By placing dental crowns on those teeth, we can eliminate the extra wear those teeth would experience.
Covering Discolored and Misshapen Teeth
Traditional tooth whitening techniques don’t always work for stains on your teeth, particularly for those caused by medication. Since a crown covers your entire tooth, it can take care of those teeth that whitening methods don’t respond to. A crown can be color-matched to the rest of your smile, or as white as you would like.
Misshapen teeth can be something you don’t want to show off in your smile. They also may make it hard to chew food, depending on the shape and where they’re located. A dental crown can be crafted so that it’s the standard shape for that tooth. It goes over your misshapen tooth, both covering it and giving you the full functionality you need.
Taking Care of Damaged Teeth
Whether it’s just cosmetic or something bigger, chips and cracks in teeth aren’t something you want. Dental crowns can both cover the aesthetic issues you have as well as strengthen teeth that have deeper issues. Crowns also give full functionality back for teeth that may have severe chips or breaks.
Getting Dental Crowns in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Do you have a dental problem that you think can be solved with dental crowns? Call us or schedule an appointment online.