Do you have a worn or broken tooth? Does your large dental filling require more support? A dental crown can help. Crowns are porcelain ceramic caps that fully cover and protect teeth. Dental crown treatment is a part of the restorative dentistry services we offer in Nashville, TN.
Our office works with dental laboratories certified by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry to create fabricated porcelain crowns that look natural and function well. Dental crowns can restore the smile and improve patients’ bites for healthier jaw joints and muscles.
The Benefits of Tooth Crowns
There are many advantages to dental crowns. Crowns:
- Strengthen weak and damaged teeth
- Look and feel like natural teeth
- Can be color-matched to other teeth (if made from composite or porcelain)
- Offer a cost-effective dental restoration
Dental crowns can help patients with decayed, weak, fractured, or cracked teeth. Crowns can also cover dental implants and help patients with large dental fillings.
Dental crowns of the past used metal or gold materials. While these materials are strong, they do not blend in with the appearance of natural teeth. We use tooth-colored crowns because they are strong and offer a natural look.
What Can Dental Crowns Do?
Dental crowns are one of the most useful tools a dentist has in their arsenal. Not only can they treat many restorative dental problems, but they can take care of cosmetic ones as well. This makes them a popular restoration choice often used in our dentist office.
Create Whiter Teeth
Professional teeth whitening is usually the solution when you have discolored teeth. However, some tooth discoloration doesn’t respond to traditional whitening techniques. A dental crown can be a solution for this deep discoloration. We color-match each dental crown to the shade of white you desire. It covers the entire tooth, too, so no discoloration is visible.
Create a Balanced Bite
Misshapen and disfigured teeth can have both cosmetic and functional issues. Usually, patients aren’t happy with the way they look. But teeth are essential to our mouth’s function. Depending on the location of the misshapen tooth, it can impact your speech or chewing ability.
Our tongue works with our teeth to make certain sounds when we speak. Each tooth has a task when it comes to digesting food. Dental crowns restore normal appearance and function.
Provide Tooth Protection
One of the most common uses for crowns is to stabilize the tooth after a root canal. When we perform a root canal, we remove the infected dental pulp in the tooth’s center, sanitize the area, and refill it with a biocompatible material to seal it from further infection.
But sometimes, this doesn’t restore full function. A dental crown gives you back stability and protects you from bacteria and further infection.
At our office, we practice conservative dentistry. Crowns are often the last line of defense before extracting a severely damaged or decayed tooth. It holds together broken pieces and keeps them all together, giving you back your tooth’s full function.
Support Implants and Bridges
When you get a dental bridge, it usually uses natural teeth on either side to support it. But this takes a toll on those teeth, wearing them down faster and making them more prone to tooth decay and damage.
We can place a dental crown over these teeth so that the crown takes on the pressure and wear, protecting your natural teeth. A custom dental crown is also the most-used choice to complete a dental implant because it looks and feels natural.
Dental Crown Treatment in Nashville, TN
To begin crown treatment, our dentist will numb your mouth so you do not feel any sensation during your care. Then, our dentist will trim a portion of the tooth enamel. Shaping the tooth will ensure a proper fit.
To plan dental crowns, we take dental X-rays and scans of the teeth to create a digital image of the smile. We send these scans to a dental lab that can create crowns custom-made for your teeth. Then, while the lab creates the crowns, we will apply temporary crowns.
When the final crowns are complete, we remove the temporary crowns and place the permanent crowns with special cement.
Getting used to your new crowns may take some time, but they should look and feel natural to you in no time. You may experience pain or soreness after treatment.
We encourage you to take pain medications as prescribed. Additionally, avoid eating chewy, sticky, or hard foods. Stick to soft foods and reintroduce chewier or harder foods as you get used to your crowns.
With the proper care, your crown can last 15 to 20 years. Follow our post-op instructions, brush, floss, and visit our office regularly to ensure your crown lasts.
Dental Crown FAQs
Learn more about dental crown treatment in our Nashville office with answers to these commonly asked questions:
Do I need a dental crown after a root canal?
Some patients may need a crown after a root canal if they have highly worn or weakened tooth enamel. A dental crown can also cover a large dental filling. Large fillings can fracture a natural tooth.
Dental crowns can cover worn, broken, and weak teeth to create a more balanced and even bite. Crowns also strengthen teeth near the back of the mouth. These teeth are often under greater pressure than teeth in the front of the mouth.
What are inlays and onlays?
Known as partial crowns, inlays and onlays can cover the tooth’s chewing surface. Inlays cover the surface between the tooth cusps or sides. Onlays cover the cusps and the chewing surface. Both inlays and onlays are custom-made composite or metal restorations that a dentist can cement onto a prepared tooth.
How do I clean dental crowns?
You can brush and floss your teeth similarly to natural teeth. However, floss through your teeth to prevent crown damage, and do not pull the floss up.
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush gently. Avoid abrasive toothpaste because it can damage your crowns and other cosmetic restorations.
Restore Your Smile Today
Contact 615 Smile Design Studio for dental crown treatment in Nashville, TN, today at (615) 637-2878. You can also schedule a dental consultation with our team online. We serve patients from the surrounding areas, including Walnut Hill, Eagle Ridge, and Summit Oaks.