Crowns

If you’re lacking the confidence to show off your smile, then crowns are an excellent option to revitalize your smile and give you back the confidence that you’ve been missing out on.

Dental crowns can be recommended in a range of situations, from use for covering damaged teeth to correcting undesirable coloring or misshapen teeth. There is a selection of materials to choose from and multiple different styles – so you’ll always get the most natural finish possible.
If you’ve never considered a dental crown before or are unsure how the procedure will be able to benefit you, then it can help to familiarize yourself with just what dental crowns have to offer you and your smile.

What Does a Dental Crown Do?

Dental crowns involved a special procedure where an existing tooth is capped with a crown made from the patient’s chosen material. The crown then acts as a casing, helping to restore the strength, size, and shape of the tooth – overall improving the look of the tooth.

Crowns are normally fitted so that the entirety of the tooth is covered. The tooth-shaped crown then provides an entirely new appearance to the tooth, and the surrounding teeth. When the procedure is performed by a professional, you’ll achieve a beautiful natural look, and quickly be able to regain lost confidence in your smile.

When Are Dental Crowns Required?

Both adults and children can have crowns fitted at Sheehan Dental, but commonly, the procedure is undertaken by adults.

Dental crowns will be recommended by the experts at Sheehan Dental in Chicago in a number of circumstances. Every patient is different, but commonly, one or more crowns will be recommended in these situations:

• If there is very little of the original tooth remaining and you’ve required a significant amount of filling to be used. A crown will then be used to help keep the remaining tooth strong.
• If a dental implant is required, crowns can be used to cover and protect the implant.
• If the color and shape of your teeth is not what you desire, a dental crown can be used to refresh your smile and restore your confidence.
• If one or more of your teeth have been cracked, broken, or damaged due to decay, then a crown can help you to regain your normal chewing ability and provide protection for the damaged tooth.
• If you require a dental bridge then crowns can be used to secure the two adjacent teeth.
• In special situations, like in the event of the bad decay of baby teeth, crowns will be recommended for children.

What Do Dental Crowns Look Like?

You have a wide selection of materials and styles to choose from when you have a crown fitted – allowing the dental crown to perfectly fit the shape of your teeth and match the color of your existing teeth.

Crowns are very unique and there are a number of reasons why your crown may look different to another person’s, including:

• The reason you need the crown fitted
• The look that you want to achieve
• The budget that you have
• The material that you choose

There are a number of materials that are well-suited to creating attractive and functional dental crowns, these include: metal, resin, and porcelain.

Temporary Stainless-Steel Crowns

If you require a temporary dental crown, then it will normally be constructed from stainless-steel. These are used as a temporary measure while your long-term crown is being created, and hence, they are prefabricated; this means that the crown isn’t tailored to your existing tooth.

A stainless-steel crown is inexpensive, so it’s often used in cases where a crown is needed to cover baby teeth. As the crown is prefabricated, only a single appointment is required to have them fitted, and eventually, when the baby teeth fall out, the crown will also fall out.

Metal Crowns

Stainless-steel isn’t the only metal that is used for crowns; there are other metals that can be used for long-term crowns. These are commonly chosen for their durability – they don’t wear down quickly when they’re used to cap molars. While the durable material doesn’t provide a natural look, it’s difficult to see the crown when it’s being fitted to molars.

There are multiple metals to choose from, including:

• Chromium Alloy
• Gold Alloy
• Nickel Alloy
• Resin Crowns

Resin is often chosen as a natural-looking temporary crown which better matches the appearance of other teeth when compared to the stainless-steel alternative. The material is very affordable, but it lacks the kind of durability that metal offers, and hence, will begin to wear down and fracture if used for a prolonged period of time.

Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain crowns are the best option for a crown that closely matches the color of your existing teeth. There are two main types of porcelain crown: porcelain that has been fused to metal and all-porcelain.
The delicate nature of porcelain means that it can be prone to chipping and wearing down the teeth that are adjacent to the crown, unlike metal. In cases where the patient is allergic to metal, a solely porcelain crown is often recommended.

How Is a Dental Crown Fitted?

Like many dental procedures, it takes two appointments for a crown to be fitted. The first appointment is to prepare your mouth and the site where the crown will need to go, and the second appointment is to fit the crown.

First Visit to Sheehan Dental

When you first arrive at Sheehan Dental in Chicago, Dr. Sheehan will assess the condition of your existing tooth and see what needs to be done for the crown to fit perfectly and be of the most benefit. During your appointment, you may require different types of dental work doing, including:

• Your tooth may need to be re-shaped for the crown to perfectly fit. This can involve filing the tooth so that it’s smaller or building the tooth up (using the material used when filling cavities) if your tooth is badly decayed or broken.
• You’ll have an imprint taken of your tooth which will be sent off so that your crown can be tailor-made.
• A temporary crown will be fitted to cap your tooth.

Any dental work carried out will be done under local anesthetic, so the experience will be as comfortable as possible. If you feel any pain after the work has been completed, then ibuprofen or other similar over-the-counter medication will be able to sooth the pain.

Second Visit to Sheehan Dental

The second appointment at Sheehan Dental will take place between two and three weeks after the first appointment. Your crowns will be checked to make sure they’re a good match for color and fit, and under a local anesthetic, they will be cemented into place by Dr. Sheehan. Just like after the first appointment, an over-the-counter pain medication may then be required if you still feel any discomfort.

In just two appointments at Sheehan Dental, you can recover the confidence that you had lost in your smile and walk away enjoying a fresher and stronger smile.

If you believe that crowns are the best fit for your dental worries or would like to learn more about the procedure involved in the fitting of dental crowns, then please don’t hesitate to call Sheehan Dental in Chicago, IL – our friendly team are always on hand to make sure that your questions are answered!