Our Services Quality Dental Crowns
When decay or damage to the surface of a tooth becomes significant, the recommended treatment option for saving the tooth is the placement of a dental crown.
With a dental crown, the damaged tooth structure is reduced and a custom-made tooth (or "cap" or "crown") is bonded to its surface. Crowns are also often used to anchor dental bridges -- structures that replace missing teeth.
At times, damage to the tooth may be too severe to restore with a crown. If the nerve of the tooth is involved a root canal may be needed. In severe instances the damage to the tooth may extend to the foundation (root) of the tooth to such a degree that the tooth cannot be saved and has to be extracted. In these cases a bridge or dental implant may be recommended to replace the tooth that was lost. We will discuss your options for restorations with you after your initial examination.
Crowns are most commonly made of porcelain or porcelain fused to metal (usually gold). Dr. Hendrix typically recommends a very durable porcelain called Zirconia for back teeth. While not extremely esthetic, they are extremely durable and are the perfect choice for most patients. On front teeth where less force is typically applied to the teeth and the esthetic demands are higher he typically recommends the crowns be made out of a variety of other materials. He will discuss your options and the characteristics of the different materials in depth and help you decide on which material is best for you. In either case, his crowns are fashioned in a dental laboratory by trained technicians to provide the utmost in strength and appearance.
Procedure
First, Dr. Hendrix will remove any decay and shape your tooth to receive a crown. The crown must be thick enough to withstand chewing, which means that the natural tooth below the crown must be reduced.
We will then take an impression of your tooth and note how your teeth fit together. You will then be fitted with a temporary crown while the permanent one is constructed in a dental lab. Our lab is now able to make crowns that fit perfectly with your bite, and look like natural teeth. They will match the color of the crown to your own natural tooth color.
On a second visit, your temporary crown will be taken off and the fit of the new crown carefully checked. The final crown is then cemented in place, restoring the tooth to its ideal shape.
