Porcelain Dental Crowns In Toledo & Sylvania
Dental Office in Sylvania, Ohio
Dental Crowns, or caps for teeth, look and function just like natural teeth. A dental crown may be recommended if your tooth has too much decay for a filling, or if your tooth is cracked or broken. Porcelain crowns blend in with surrounding teeth and provide a strong, long-lasting repair for broken teeth, cracked teeth or yellowed teeth.
At our practice, we offer CEREC Same Day Crowns to patients who want to have the procedure completed in a single appointment. With the help of advanced technology, we can create a customized cap that matches your other teeth right here in our office. After the dentist places the crown, you have no need to return for a follow up!
Benefits of Dental Crowns
Here is what porcelain crowns can do :
- Fit snugly over natural teeth to conceal cracks and chips
- Conceal yellow teeth
- Protect what remains of the natural teeth
- Minimize the physical discomfort of tooth sensitivity
- Are allergy free
- Provide support for damaged teeth
- Correctly align a patient’s bite
- Even out the overall appearance of a smile
- Serve as anchors for a dental bridge
How Are Porcelain Crowns Placed?
Traditional crown placement typically involves two appointments. During the first appointment, the tooth is prepared for the crown. A small bit of tooth structure may be removed to make room for the crown. Local anesthesia is used to prevent any discomfort. Impressions are made of the tooth and sent to the dental laboratory that fabricates the crown. A temporary crown is placed over the prepared tooth to protect it. Once the permanent custom crown is ready, the second appointment is scheduled. The temporary crown is removed and the permanent crown is bonded or cemented into place using a strong dental adhesive. Any last-minute adjustments for fit are made as needed. The crown is buffed and polished to give it a translucent quality similar to natural tooth enamel.
Our team also offers porcelain crowns with the revolutionary CEREC machine. This technology allows us to fit, craft and place permanent crown restorations (as well as veneers, inlays and onlays) in a single visit. CEREC uses digital photography and CAD-CAM software to plan out the restoration, which is then crafted from a piece of high-quality porcelain. CEREC radically enhances the convenience and ease of the porcelain crown placement process.
Uses of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns can be either restorative or cosmetic in nature — often both. Teeth that have become weak following infection and/or decay may need support to be able to bite fully and survive in your mouth long term. This is especially true following a root canal, where the tooth’s structural integrity has become compromised, so putting a crown on top helps to protect it. Crowns are also used with restorative procedures like dental bridges to hold the prosthetic device securely in your mouth.
Some crowns are purely cosmetic in that they are used to cover up a crooked, cracked, or misshapen tooth to create a more attractive smile. It does not make sense to remove a healthy tooth, so covering up its cosmetic flaws may be just the solution. Dental bonding is an alternative procedure that does not alter the natural tooth at all.
Dental Crowns Vs. Dental Implants Vs. Porcelain Veneers
These three options can restore and improve the appearance of your teeth, but they provide different benefits. Dental implants replace a missing tooth and its root with a titanium screw placed in the jaw connected to an abutment and dental crown (pontic or artificial tooth). Porcelain veneers are thin shells that cover fractured, chipped, discolored, or slightly misaligned teeth. Dental crowns are caps made of porcelain that cover the entire tooth structure to restore function and improve the tooth’s appearance.
Dental implants are the ideal choice for a lost tooth because they can give you back a complete smile without affecting the surrounding teeth. These posts can support other restorations and are more stable than conventional dentures and bridges.
Porcelain veneers cover tooth cracks, chips, discoloration, and mild alignment concerns that affect the cosmetic appeal of your smile. These shells are bonded to the front of the affected tooth and are considered purely cosmetic, meaning dental insurance typically does not cover the cost of porcelain veneers.
Dental crowns are best for repairing broken teeth and addressing dental imperfections, such as severe tooth discoloration, deep tooth decay, or old restorations that need replacement. Crowns can improve tooth alignment and are placed on top of a dental implant and act as an artificial tooth. These dental restorations are best for repairing damaged teeth that can’t be addressed with dental bonding or covered with a veneer.
How to Care for Your Dental Crowns
Most crowns last between 10 and 15 years before replacement is warranted. The better you take care of your crown, the longer you will be able to avoid getting a new crown.
Dental crowns do not require special care. You can maintain these dental restorations for decades with proper oral hygiene at home and regular dental exams and cleanings. Good dental hygiene and dental crown maintenance include:
- Brushing your teeth every morning and night (or more often)
- Flossing once daily
- Rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash
- Avoiding sticky or hard foods, such as ice, hard candies, chewing gum, and crunchy, fresh vegetables, such as carrots
- Quitting bad habits, including biting on your nails, smoking, chewing on pencils, and using your teeth as tools to open packaging
- Getting treatment for bruxism (teeth grinding), such as a nightguard
Recovery After a Dental Crown
The recovery process for a dental crown is short, but it can take a couple of weeks to adjust to your newly repaired tooth. Hot and cold foods like coffee, soup, and ice cream may cause tooth sensitivity, especially if you have gum recession with exposed tooth roots. If you have ongoing pain or feel like your dental crown is damaged, contact our dentists at Dental Health Associates to schedule an exam.
Porcelain Crowns and Insurance Coverage
Dental insurance covers preventative care, including routine dental exams, cleanings, X-rays, and oral cancer screenings. These plans often cover dental restorations, including porcelain crowns, to improve oral health and restore tooth function.
Insurance coverage for porcelain crowns depends on your plan and benefits. Most dental insurance providers have a maximum amount for annual coverage, and patients are responsible for all expenses beyond that amount. Your plan may cover 50% of your dental crown procedure for oral health purposes, such as repairing a cracked tooth or supporting a weakened tooth structure. Crowns for cosmetic concerns, including severe tooth stains and chips, may not qualify under your plan.
Benefits of CEREC Same-Day Dental Crowns
The traditional dental crown procedure requires two visits: One appointment to prepare the tooth, take a mold impression to send to the dental lab, and place a temporary crown. The second appointment positions the permanent dental crown and ensures a comfortable bite. Same-day dental crowns with CEREC technology eliminate the need for temporary crowns. These porcelain crowns protect the damaged tooth and cut out the messy dental putty used for traditional crowns. Instead, the CEREC system maps your teeth and determines the ideal shape with a digital scan that is quick, simple, and comfortable. The technology uses the high-quality 3D image to design and fabricates the dental crown out of a block of porcelain.
CEREC technology creates incredibly accurate images and restorations that perfectly fit over the damaged tooth. The porcelain crown mimics the natural sheen of your tooth enamel and matches the shade of your adjacent teeth. CEREC same-day crowns are more convenient for patients and provide a durable, aesthetically pleasing restoration.
Contact Our Team Today
At Dental Health Associates, we use all-porcelain crowns for the best results. For more information about our porcelain crowns, please contact us today.
While some dentists lack the knowledge and staff to provide their patients with porcelain crowns, our Toledo dentists are so committed to high-quality crown, veneer, and bridge restorations that we have our own in-house dental lab. The lab is staffed with dental ceramists who ensure that your porcelain crowns and restorations are all perfectly matched to your individual teeth and create the smile you want.