Horizon Family Dental Care offers dental crowns in Baltimore, MD for patients with a weakened or damaged tooth. This common dental restoration will restore a tooth’s shape, size, strength, and improve its appearance. Your dentist will custom make it to fit right over your tooth, completely encasing it.
What are Dental Crowns Used For?
Dental crowns are used for various reasons, including:
Restore a Damaged Tooth
A common reason we place a dental crown over a tooth is to restore it due to it being severely damaged. Common reasons for tooth damage are tooth decay, trauma, or worn down tooth. A dental crown will protect the tooth from further damage and help restore function.
Improve the Appearance of a Tooth
Dentists even use dental crowns for cosmetic reasons. A crown can improve the appearance of the tooth by hiding many types of blemishes. Commons cosmetic reasons to use a dental crown include discolored teeth, misshapen teeth, or for a tooth that needs a large filling.
Support a Dental Bridge
A dental bridge is a common restoration that dentists use to replace teeth. It uses adjacent teeth to support it. Dental crowns are often used to support the bridge by placing them over the adjacent teeth.
Cover a Dental Implant
A single dental implant is the best way to replace a tooth. A titanium post is surgically placed in the jaw bone to replace the missing tooth root. Then your dentist will secure a dental crown to the dental implant to serve as the replacement tooth.
The Dental Crown Process
To receive a dental crown in Baltimore, MD, you will need to visit Horizon Family Dental Care at least twice. During the first visit, your dentist will prepare the tooth by removing any decay and shaping the tooth. We will take several impressions of the tooth to create your temporary crown and your new custom, permanent crown.
A dental lab will create your new crown. While you wait for that, you will wear the temporary one to protect your tooth. A temporary crown is made of plastic and is not as strong as the permanent crown. For this reason, you will need to avoid eating hard or sticky foods while it is in place.
During the second visit, the temporary crown will be removed, and the permanent crown will be placed over the tooth. The dentist will check to ensure that the crown fits properly and matches the color of the surrounding teeth. Once the fit and appearance of the crown are satisfactory, it will be cemented in place.
At your next visit, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and secure the permanent crown. They will check to ensure that the crown fits properly and blends in naturally with the rest of your teeth. Once the look and fit look right, they will cement the crown to the tooth.
Caring for Your Dental Crown
Taking care of your dental crown is simple. All you have to do is treat it like your other natural teeth. Avoiding tooth decay and gum disease is very important. You need to continue to brush and floss your teeth every day and visit your dentist twice a year for a regular checkup and cleaning.
We also suggest that you avoid hard and sticky foods. These types of food, as well as trauma, can cause the crown to come loose. If your crown loosens or even falls out, call our Baltimore dental office as soon as possible. We may be able to re-cement the crown.
Dental crowns are an effective dental treatment that dentist use for many reasons. If you need a dental crown in Baltimore, MD, call Horizon Family Dental Care or schedule a dental appointment online on our website.