Why do I need a Crown?

If want your smile to be your crowning glory, you need healthy, attractive teeth. When they are cracked, stained or damaged, however, your teeth detract from your dental health and your appearance, too.
To restore them, Avon Dental Centre may recommend crowns. This site will help answer some of the common questions you may have about crowns.

What are crowns and why are they used?

A crown is a restoration that covers, or caps, a tooth to restore it to its normal and size.
Its purpose is to strengthen or improve the appearance of a tooth.

A crown is placed for a number of reasons:

To support a large filling when there isn't enough tooth remaining.
To attach a bridge.
To protect weak teeth from fracturing.
To restore fractured teeth.
To cover badly shaped or discolored teeth.
To cover a dental implant.

Which material is best?

Both the "look" and function of your crowns are considered when choosing the
materials most suitable for you. Avon Dental Centre will consider the tooth
location, the position of the gum tissue, the amount of tooth that shows when you
smile, the color or shade of the tooth and the function of the tooth.

How is a crown placed?

Several steps are involved in placing a crown. Usually at least two visits are necessary.
Avon Dental Centre will prepare the tooth by removing the outer portion of your
tooth to accommodate the thickness of the crown.If the tooth has a filling, part of the
material may be left in place to serve as a foundation for the crown.

Sometimes a core build-up is needed to provide a more stable foundation for the
crown. An impression is made to provide an exact model of the prepared tooth.
Your dentist or a dental laboratory technician, following the written instruction of
the dentist, will then make the crown from the model.

"Temporary" crowns (often make of acrylic resins) are placed while the permanent
crown is made. When the permanent crown is ready, the dentist puts it in place
and makes necessary adjustments. To see how your crown will look, you can use
a large mirror held at arms length in various types of lighting. When you and your
dentist are satisfied with you appearance, the crown will be cemented in place.

How do I take care of my crowns?

Brushing twice a day and cleaning between your teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaners (specially shaped brushes and sticks or picks) is especially important when
you have crowns. These measures remove a sticky film of bacteria called plaque.
It is especially important to remove plaque from the area where the gum meets the
tooth (the sulcus). When plaque accumulates in the sulcus, it can cause dental decay
or gum disease. To prevent damaging or fracturing the crowns, avoid chewing hard
foods, ice or other hard objects. It is also important to visit your dentist regularly
(at least every six months).

What will the finished crown look like?

One of your dentist's main goals is to create crowns that look like natural teeth.
To achieve this, a number of factors are considered such as the color, occlusion
or "bite," shape and length of both your natural teeth and of the artificial crown.
Any one of these factors alone can significantly affect your appearance.

If you have a certain look in mind for your crown, discuss it with your dentist at
your initial visit. When the procedure is complete, your teeth may not only be stronger,
but they may be the attractive feature of your face -- your crowning glory.

Finished Crown

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