Dental crowns help to preserve your teeth in the case of severe decay or accidental breakage as well as improve your overall aesthetics.
Dr. Kevin Diep of Gentle Breeze Dental uses crowns as a conservative treatment approach to prevent extraction of the tooth or the need to place implants or dentures.
You may be a good candidate for dental crowns in one or more the following situations:
• When you have only minor misalignment of your teeth, placing a dental cap on those affected is less costly and time-consuming than getting braces. A dental crown is also useful for disguising cracks and chips in a tooth instead of replacing it.
• Dr. Diep places a dental crown on a tooth after he has treated it with root canal therapy. This prevents it from succumbing to another infection or additional decay.
• Dental crowns help to hold dental bridges in place when you are missing one tooth or several teeth on the same arch. Dr. Diep uses these when the surrounding teeth are not strong enough to support the dental bridge on their own.
• If your teeth are severely discolored or stained and teeth whitening hasn’t produced the results you want, placing a dental cap on the affected teeth is a realistic alternative.
How Dr. Diep Places Dental Crowns
Depending on the shape and thickness of your teeth, Dr. Diep may need to remove no more than two millimeters of enamel before he can attach the new dental crown. Once that is complete, he takes an impression of your teeth to provide to our dental laboratory. He completes one last examination during your first appointment to ensure that the crown will fit well and that the tooth is strong enough to receive it.
As soon as our laboratory fabricates your new crown, our office will contact you to come in for the final fitting. At this appointment, Dr. Diep uses a dental laser and special cement to place your crown and make sure that it stays in place. Before you go home, our staff provides you with detailed care instructions for your new dental crown. As long as you practice good oral hygiene and don’t subject it to unnecessary stress, it should be at least a decade before you have to replace it.