Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are one of the most useful treatments that your Brooklyn, NY dentist has in their professional toolbox. For millions of people with teeth that have been damaged, dental crowns provide a safe and attractive treatment that also restore function. Damaged teeth don’t necessarily have to be extracted; they can often be saved with a little bit of professional know-how and the beauty of dental crowns. From strengthening damaged teeth to improving their appearance, crowns are a versatile treatment option that can significantly enhance oral health and confidence.
Tooth Restoration With Dental Crowns
From the dentist’s perspective, the purpose of dental crowns is to restore the structural integrity of a damaged tooth. That’s the main goal, because dentists look at your teeth as tools that allow you to bite and chew, thereby enabling you to get the nutrition that your body needs to live and thrive.
Teeth that have suffered or been damaged from extensive decay, fractures or wear and tear can lose their ability to function properly. Dental crowns are a great treatment for this, because it gives back that function that the tooth has lost.
A dental crown acts as a protective cap—hence the word crown—encasing the tooth and safeguarding it from further harm. It’s like a protective barrier that keeps the vulnerable part all tucked away inside, while restoring the function that the tooth is supposed to provide in the first place. Dental crowns help with chewing, too. By redistributing the forces of chewing evenly, crowns restore a tooth’s functionality, ensuring a balanced bite and comfortable eating. In turn, this ensures that you’re able to eat the nutritious and delicious foods on your plate.
However, to get all these great benefits, the crown has to fit well. One person’s crown won’t fit someone else. Dental crowns are custom made and custom fit. As such, your dentist goes through an incredibly meticulous process to make sure your dental crown fits perfectly.
At Sconzo and Sciascia General Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we use the most advanced technologies available today, including digital impressions (not just X-rays) and computer-aided design allow for precise customization, matching the crown to the unique contours of your tooth. This level of precision not only enhances functionality but also promotes long-term oral health and comfort by preventing complications after the crown has been placed.
Better Looking Teeth
For the patient, dental crowns are about more than restoring function (although the joy of eating favorite foods again is hard to ignore!). It’s also about appearance. Plenty of dental patients ask for crowns because they want to address unsightly things like discoloration, misshapen teeth or gaps. Modern materials, such as porcelain and ceramic, closely mimic the translucency and color of natural teeth, which makes dental crowns not only a restorative treatment but a cosmetic one. Note that they still fall under the category of restorative dentistry in Brooklyn, NY. It’s just that they solve multiple issues, and some of those are cosmetic.
That’s not to say that chewing function and appearance are the whole of dental crowns’ features. A quality dental crown can correct minor alignment issues, improve speech clarity and even bolster self-esteem. For people who have felt self-conscious about their smiles, crowns provide a chance for a fresh start, allowing them to smile freely and confidently. Sometimes this initiates other positive changes in a person’s life, such as increased motivation to eat better, exercise or to pursue more of life’s passions.
Getting Dental Crowns
Crafting a dental crown involves a blend of artistry and science. During the preparation phase, the dentist reshapes the tooth to better accommodate the crown, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit. Temporary crowns may be placed to protect the tooth while the permanent restoration is fabricated. This also helps to resolve the dental issue temporarily until your crown is ready.
The process often takes about two weeks, during which the dental lab creates the custom crown. Advanced techniques, such as CAD/CAM systems, allow for same-day crowns in some cases, expediting the process without compromising quality. If you’re interested in same-day crowns, talk to your dentist at Sconzo and Sciascia General Cosmetic and Family Dentistry.
Once the crown is ready to be placed, your dentist carefully cements it in place, making final adjustments for comfort and precision. This may include grinding down spurs so your tongue isn’t irritated when it passes over the crown.
Caring for Your Crowns
Although crowns are designed for durability, maintaining them requires diligence. Regular brushing and flossing are essential to prevent decay around the base of the crown. Dental visits are equally important, as they allow your dentist to monitor the crown’s condition and address any issues promptly.
Adopting healthy habits, such as avoiding excessively hard foods and wearing a night guard if you grind your teeth, can further prolong the lifespan of your crowns. With proper care, crowns can last over a decade, providing a lasting solution for various dental issues!
The Long-Term Benefits of Dental Crowns
But is that it? No. Dental crowns offer a ton more than just immediate relief and cosmetic enhancement; they contribute to overall oral health. By restoring damaged teeth, crowns help maintain the alignment of surrounding teeth, prevent further wear, and reduce the risk of jaw pain caused by imbalances in your bite. These long-term benefits make crowns an invaluable investment in both your oral health and quality of life.
If you’re nervous about certain dental treatments, you should know that dental crowns provide a reliable and minimally invasive solution. They’ve been around for decades—longer than we care to admit to knowing about! They allow patients and their dentists the ability to take care of problematic situations around teeth before they have a chance to escalate into more severe problems, such as tooth loss, tooth infection or something even worse.
Are you ready to have a conversation about dental crowns in Brooklyn, NY? Contact us today to book an appointment and come in for a consultation. We’ll talk to you about your situation and from there, we’ll determine if a dental crown is right for you!
