Dental Crowns – Lewisville, TX
Rebuild Your Functional, Healthy, & Beautiful Smile
Did you know that tooth enamel is the hardest material in the human body, even harder than bones? Unfortunately, your teeth are by no means indestructible! Whether you take a sudden blow to the face while playing sports or develop a large cavity over years of poor oral hygiene, there are plenty of ways you may end up with a broken or decayed tooth. At Capehart Dental, we’re proud to offer custom-made dental crowns in Lewisville to help you rebuild your functional, healthy, and beautiful smile! Read on to learn more about this reliable restoration and give us a call to schedule your next appointment!
What Is a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns are meant to treat individual teeth that are badly decayed, injured, weakened, or cosmetically imperfect. The restoration (also known as a “cap”) covers the natural crown and protects it from further harm, all while providing a suitable and attractive replacement on top that functions just like the original. Crowns are also used to treat teeth that have been cared for with root canal therapy and restore single dental implants.
The Process of Getting a Dental Crown
Getting a dental crown is an easy process that typically only takes about two appointments. First, we’ll clean the tooth and make room for the crown by removing a small amount of enamel. Impressions of the area will be taken and sent to a local dental laboratory, where they will be used as blueprints for your final restoration. In the meantime, we’ll send you home with a temporary dental crown to keep your tooth safe and comfortable until your next appointment. In about two weeks, you’ll return to our office to have the temporary restoration removed and your beautiful, custom-made dental crown cemented into place.
The Benefits of Repairing a Tooth with a Dental Crown
Dental crowns are one of the most common treatments we perform here at Capehart Dental. Repairing a tooth with this reliable restoration offers many benefits, including:
- Improved function and appearance of a damaged tooth
- Prevent the need to extract a tooth later on
- Protect the compromised tooth from further damage or decay
- Lifespan of 15 years or more with proper maintenance
- Life-like materials blend in seamlessly with the rest of the smile
- 100% custom-fit to ensure optimal results in every way
Interested to see if your smile could benefit from a custom-made dental crown? Give us a call today to schedule your next appointment.
Dental Crown FAQs
What Are Dental Crowns Made Of?
Dental crowns can be made from several different types of materials, though some are more popular than others. You might be familiar with the metal amalgam crowns from the 70’s, for example. As concerns about mercury exposure grew and high-quality tooth-colored materials became available, however, metal dental restorations fell out of favor.
At Capehart Dental, we use the more modern (and realistic looking!) biocompatible tooth-colored materials. Your smile will look great, and your dental crown will last for years to come!
Are Dental Crowns Permanent?
With proper care, our dental crowns can protect your tooth for up to 15 years or more. That does mean they’re technically not permanent – at some point, you’ll probably have to replace your restoration. For all intents and purposes, though, your crown will be designed to stay. You should never try to remove your crown, as this could cause further damage to your compromised tooth. Instead, give us a call and let us take a look at it. We’ll make any necessary repairs, adjustments, or replacements for you!
How Do You Know When a Dental Crown Needs to Be Replaced?
The best way to know whether your crown needs to be replaced or not is to come in for a visit. We’ll visually examine your crown for blemishes, damage, and wear, and take X-rays if necessary to ensure it’s structural integrity. That said, there are some red flags you should watch out for, such as:
- Discomfort – Dental pain or other uncomfortable sensations could indicate that there’s decay lying underneath your crown. We’ll carefully remove your restoration, treat the problem, and either reseat or replace your crown, depending on the situation.
- Looseness – If you have a loose or wiggly restoration, contact us right away. We don’t want your crown to fall off and expose your weakened tooth, so we’ll see you as soon as possible for treatment.
- Visible wear and tear – chipped, cracked, or otherwise worn-down restorations can be an oral health risk, meaning it’s definitely time for a replacement!
What’s the Difference Between a Temporary Crown and a Permanent Crown?
When we say we’ll give you a “temporary crown,” what we mean is that after preparing your tooth for restoration, we’ll provide you with a removable, weak crown. This version isn’t meant to stay in your mouth or last for a long time like your “permanent crown.”
What a temporary crown does do is give your compromised tooth some protection while we wait for the dental lab to finish crafting the final product. Basically, your permanent crown will look better and feel stronger than the temporary one, and until we can place it, you’ll be able to eat and talk without worrying about damaging your natural tooth.