Dental crowns, which are sometimes known as “caps,” are precisely that — a dental treatment designed to cap off a tooth with the purpose of enhancing its appearance and, more importantly, repairing it so that its size, function, strength, and shape are not compromised.
Crowns can be made from many different materials, including:
Your Empress Walk Dental dentist will recommend a crown if your situation warrants it. Many patients who have crowns have them as a result of one of the following conditions:
Getting a crown requires two visits to our office.The first visit consists of what might be termed “damage control” – the dentist will get rid of any decay that is present in the tooth, prepare the tooth for the new crown, and provide the patient with a temporary crown that will serve as a placeholder until the permanent crown is ready. At the followup appointment, the dentist will replace the temporary crown with the new permanent one and cement the permanent crown into place.
The cost of your crown will take into consideration many different factors, including the location where you have the crown done, the material used in the crown, whether you have dental insurance or not, etc. Our friendly office staff at Empress Walk Dental will be happy to help you file your dental insurance and determine what types of treatments are covered so that you can be confident in your financial choices.
The average life span of a crown is somewhere between 5-15 years, but if you maintain proper oral hygiene, including regular brushing and flossing, you will be able to maximize the life of your crown. In addition, your crown will last much longer if you avoid behaviors like biting your fingernails, using your teeth to open packages and parcels, chewing ice, grinding and/or clenching your teeth, etc.