Does it ever feel overwhelming when you think about all the different ways a dentist can treat your smile? We get it. That’s why we’re taking the guesswork out of dental work and giving you the best information about some of our most common dental techniques, like dental crowns.
Dr. Thomas Hernandez at Heritage Dental in Houston, Texas, specializes in placing dental crowns and helping his patients know when they’re needed. We’re sharing a comprehensive list of when you might need dental crowns, so you can feel confident and informed when you head into your appointment.
Dental crowns are porcelain, composite resin, or metal caps that Dr. Hernandez places on your teeth to address specific oral health and cosmetic issues. The crown rests on top of your tooth, completely covering it down to the gum line.
We make dental crowns in two phases. The first involves Dr. Hernandez conducting an oral exam, reviewing your oral health history, and discussing your goals with you. Then, he takes digital X-rays to get a detailed look at the affected tooth or teeth and their roots. Dr. Hernandez prepares your tooth by gently shaving a thin layer of enamel from the affected tooth, allowing him to take accurate digital impressions that he sends to the laboratory.
We fit you with a temporary crown and schedule another appointment (about two weeks later) for you to come back and place your new, customized crown. Dr. Hernandez bonds the new crown with special cement and hardens it with a powerful blue light. The placement process usually takes 45-60 minutes.
With a diligent oral hygiene routine and regular check-ups with us, your crown can last up to 10-15 years. Avoiding bad habits like nail-biting and chewing on hard food items and wearing mouth guards during high-contact activities can also extend the life of your dental crown.
One of the best things about dental crowns is they’re incredibly versatile with the ability to address many different issues. Here are a few of the reasons you might need one.
Your teeth are incredibly strong structures. Enamel (the white outer part of your smile) is one of the hardest surfaces in your body. But despite their strength, your teeth are still at risk for wear and tear.
Many things can contribute to the eventual wearing down of your teeth, including:
Even the effects of time can have an impact on your teeth. But no matter what’s behind your worn-down teeth, dental crowns effectively restore and rebuild your teeth.
When you’re getting other dental work done like dental bridges or implants, you often need a dental crown, as well. We use crowns to cover the artificial root of the dental implants and to support and hold a dental bridge in place.
Cracks and decay can take a toll on the integrity of your tooth. We often use a dental crown to hold together pieces of a cracked tooth that don’t need to be extracted. Dental crowns are also effective in strengthening teeth that have been plagued by decay.
We also typically place a dental crown after performing a root canal on a severely decayed tooth to seal and protect it against further damage.
Dental crowns are also a great option if you’re looking to fix flaws in your teeth, such as discolored or misshapen teeth. They’re an effective cosmetic dentistry technique that we can use to give you the cohesive smile of your dreams.
If you’re concerned about your teeth and think you need a dental crown, don’t hesitate to request an appointment with us online or over the phone.
