Dental crowns are a great way to restore and protect teeth. They can fix cosmetic issues and repair damage from decay or injury. Crowns are often the last step to save a badly damaged tooth to help you keep your natural smile. We offer dental crowns as part of our restorative dental services.
Getting a Dental Crown in Tyler, TX
The process starts with a consultation. During this visit, we’ll examine your teeth, share your symptoms and medical history, and discuss your goals. This helps us decide if a crown is the best option for you.
Most patients can get a dental crown. But in rare cases, the tooth might be too damaged and we might suggest removal or other treatment.
If there’s decay in the tooth, we’ll treat that first. After that, we prepare the tooth by reshaping it so the crown will fit securely. Next, we take impressions of your tooth and send them to a lab. There, they will make your custom crown.
While you wait for the permanent crown, we’ll place a temporary one to protect your tooth. The temporary will look real, so you won’t go without a tooth.
Your custom crown will match the size, shape, and color of your natural teeth to blend in with your smile. Once it’s ready, you’ll come back to our office to have it placed.
We’ll check to make sure the crown fits before we send you home. If it’s too loose, bacteria and food particles can get trapped underneath. This can lead to problems like decay or infection. Once we’re sure the fit is perfect, we’ll securely bond the crown to your tooth.
Dental Crown Uses
Dental crowns are popular because they can treat almost any restorative or cosmetic issue. Our dentists can repair broken teeth, improve cosmetic flaws, and more.
Cosmetic Improvements
Tooth discoloration is something most people deal with at some point. While professional teeth whitening works for many, it doesn’t fix all types of stains. A dental crown can help because you can choose the shade of white you want. Since the crown covers the entire tooth, any stains or discoloration are completely gone.
Misshapen or uneven teeth aren’t just about looks. They can also affect how you eat or speak. You might struggle to chew certain foods or notice a slight lisp because your teeth help your tongue form sounds. A dental crown can fix these issues, giving you a natural-looking tooth that blends in with the rest of your smile.
Stabilizing Natural Teeth
Dental crowns are often used to strengthen a tooth after a root canal. During a root canal, the dentist removes infected pulp from inside your tooth and replaces it with a resin. While this seals the tooth and protects it, it doesn’t always restore full strength. A dental crown adds extra stability to bring back full function and give the tooth even more protection.
Crowns are also useful for dental bridges. When you get a bridge, the natural teeth on either side of the gap act as anchors to hold it in place. This puts extra pressure on those teeth and make them more likely to wear down or get damaged. Covering these anchor teeth with crowns helps protect them because they handle the stress instead of your natural teeth.
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Treating Tooth Damage and Decay
At our Tyler dental office, we focus on saving as much of your natural tooth as possible. A crown is sometimes the first step to save a severely damaged or decayed tooth and prevent extraction. Losing a tooth can lead to jawbone loss and sagging in that area of the face. Keeping your natural teeth is always the best option when possible.
If part of your tooth breaks off, it can cause several problems. The exposed inner layers of the tooth can lead to pain and a higher risk of infection. Sharp edges can also cut the soft tissues in your mouth. A dental crown not only covers the damaged area but also protects your mouth from further harm and keeps the tooth safe.
Preserving Your Crown: Long-Term Care Strategies
With the right care, dental crowns can last 10-15 years or longer. We recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste to prevent scratching the crown’s surface. Flossing daily with special attention to the crown margins helps prevent decay at the vulnerable area where crown meets tooth.
Patients should avoid chewing extremely hard foods like ice or hard candy, as these can damage even the strongest crowns. Night guards are essential for patients who grind their teeth, protecting both natural teeth and dental work from excessive wear. Regular professional cleanings allow us to monitor your crown’s condition and catch any potential issues early.
Beyond Restoration: The Cosmetic Advantages of Crowns
While crowns are primarily restorative, they offer transformative cosmetic benefits. We can artistically design crowns to fix many flaws simultaneously like adjusting tooth length, shape, and alignment while perfecting color. If your teeth are worn down from aging or grinding, getting crowns can help bring back your bite and make your face look younger.
Our shade-matching process goes beyond basic color matching to replicate the natural variations in tooth translucency and surface texture. For patients getting full smile makeovers, crowns often serve as the cornerstone treatment. They provide both structural support and aesthetic perfection when combined with other cosmetic procedures.
Schedule a Dental Exam Today
Visit Tyler Family Dental today for a crown consultation. During your visit, our dentists will discuss your options, answer questions you have, and create a detailed treatment plan. We use the latest technology to ensure that your dental crown is a perfect fit and matches the color of your real teeth.
Don’t wait any longer to address your dental issues. A dental crown may be the best option to correct them. Call us 903-597-3940 or schedule an appointment online to begin.