Dental Crowns

What is a Dental Crown?

Often referred to as “caps,” these are customized restorations that fit over a decayed or damaged tooth. Designed to replace the visible portion of your tooth, it helps to protect it from future reinfection, allowing it to strengthen over time. Dental crowns can be made of various materials, including traditional amalgam and tooth-colored ceramics.

During a consultation with one of our team members, you will discuss your personal preference and budget to determine the type of restoration you will receive.

Because dental crowns are extremely versatile, they are most often used to:

• Repair a severely decayed tooth and a filling is not enough to adequately fix the problem
• Strengthen a broken/damaged tooth structure that is at risk for falling apart
• Replacing the crown portion of a tooth that is missing and replaced with a dental implant
• Cover a tooth that recently underwent root canal therapy
• Create a dental bridge that can be used to replace missing teeth along an arch
• Create an improved aesthetic when teeth are misshapen or stained

What is the Process for Getting a Dental Crown?

On average, you will be expected to schedule 2-3 visits with our dental team to receive your dental crown. The reason is that it takes time to create the actual restoration and put it into place. First, you will schedule a consultation with our team and allow us to examine your problem area. Should we find severe decay or a broken/damaged tooth, we will discuss your options for treatment. If a dental crown is what your treatment plan entails, you can expect us to go over the entire process as well as how much you can expect to pay.

Next, we will thoroughly clean the tooth and remove any decay or damaged areas that exist. After filling it with a tooth-colored material, we will file it down to ensure the crown will fit snugly over your tooth and blend in with your remaining teeth. After capturing impressions of your tooth, these will be sent to a local dental laboratory where technicians will begin fabricating your customized restoration. While you wait to receive your final crown, we will place a temporary one over your weakened tooth.

Once your finalized crown is ready, your dentist in Tyler will examine it to ensure it looks as it should before removing your temporary and putting the final one in place. After careful review, you will be free to go home and begin enjoying your fully repaired smile.

The Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown

Numerous benefits come with getting a dental crown. As one of the safest and most reliable forms of restorative dentistry available, you will discover:

• You have greater chewing ability, which makes for a more comfortable eating experience
• Dental crowns offer greater protection for your natural teeth, preventing the possibility of extraction
• They can last 15 years or more with proper care and maintenance
• They can help to reduce your risk for more serious oral health problems in the future
• They’re fully customizable, allowing them to blend in with the rest of your smile and preventing others from noticing you’ve had dental work