Dental Crowns
Dental Crowns in Kitchener and Waterloo area
A crown is a restoration that covers, or “caps”, a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of the tooth. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is cracked or is so broken down that there isn’t enough of the tooth remaining to provide support for large fillings. Crowns are also used to protect weak teeth from fracturing (like root canal treated teeth) or to cover badly shaped or discoloured teeth.
A crown is usually done in two appointments. At the first appointment the tooth is prepared by shaping and reducing it to properly fit a crown over and an impression (custom mold of your teeth and gums) is taken and sent to a lab for the crown fabrication. A temporary crown is fitted until the permanent crown is custom made. On the following appointment, the dentist removes the temporary crown and cements the permanent crown onto your tooth.
To prevent damaging or fracturing a crown, avoid chewing hard foods, ice or other hard objects. You also want to avoid grinding your teeth. Besides visiting your dentist and brushing twice a day, cleaning between your teeth is vital for crowns. Removing the plaque from the area where the crown meets the tooth will increase the life span of your crown because plaque can cause decay and gum disease.