A dental crown, also known as a “cap,” is a restoration that covers an entire tooth to protect and reinforce it. You may need a crown if you have a tooth that’s been weakened by decay, an injury, or root canal treatment. The goal of placing a crown is to help save your tooth so that you don’t have to have it extracted. You might also choose to get a crown for aesthetic purposes; a crown can help cover up a tooth that’s misshapen or severely stained. Crowns are also used in other treatments like dental implants and dental bridges.
Whether you need just one crown or several, each crown will be individually designed and custom-fitted to blend in perfectly with the rest of your surrounding teeth. No one ever has to know that your crowned tooth isn’t a natural tooth. As long as you take good care of your crown, it can last you fifteen years or even longer.
The Dental Crown Process
It normally takes two appointments to place a dental crown. This is the process we use here at our Mississauga dental practice:
Prepare your tooth
A comprehensive dental examination is the first step. You’ll meet with our dentist who will carefully evaluate your dental health and let you know whether a crown is the right choice for your tooth. You may need to have a professional teeth cleaning first, as well.
After that, the dentist will prepare your tooth for a crown by trimming away the damaged or decayed areas and shaping your tooth into a wide cone shape. Preparing your tooth this way creates a sturdy foundation for the crown and protects the inside of your tooth from further damage.
If you’re getting a crown to restore a dental implant, then you can skip this step of tooth preparation. We won’t have to work on any other teeth if you are only getting a crown for your implant.
Design Your Crown
Next, the dentist will take an impression of your prepared tooth and the surrounding teeth. The impression serves as a guide for creating a crown that fits perfectly on your prepared tooth and lines up with the rest of your bite. We’ll cover your tooth with a temporary crown to protect it while we finish making your permanent crown.
Place your crown
At your final appointment, we will take off the temporary crown and try in your permanent crown. If it fits well and you like the way it looks, we will bond it in place. The dentist will check your bite to make sure that your crown feels just like a natural tooth, and we’ll floss around your crown to make sure the edges lay flush against your tooth. When your crown is finished, it will blend in perfectly with your smile and help you enjoy a stronger and healthier bite for many years to come.
Contact Us Today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Think you may need a dental crown? We want to have a clear picture of what your dental health care needs are before we recommend any treatment. Visit us for a comprehensive dental examination where a dentist will check your teeth, gums, and bite and then suggest the treatment you need to have a healthy and beautiful smile.
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Dr. Ameen is the winner of the 3 Best Cosmetic Dentists in Mississauga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many—but not all—teeth that get a root canal need to have crowns. Root canal treatment can make teeth dry and brittle afterwards, so some teeth need to be reinforced with caps. Whether you need a crown mainly depends on how much chewing pressure it experiences. You’re more likely to need a cap if you get a root canal on a molar, but you may not need one at all if the tooth in question is located in the front of your mouth.
Crowns and fillings are both excellent dental restorations that can repair decayed or cracked teeth. Comparing them, however, is like comparing a tiny adhesive bandage with a large plaster cast; they serve the same purpose, but on different levels. You can’t say that one is necessarily better than the other. A filling is suitable when a tooth needs only a minor repair while a crown is best-suited to restoring a tooth with extensive damage. If you have a damaged tooth, then you should visit a dentist to find out which restoration is best for your unique situation.
No, the good news is that modern dental crowns are so lifelike that no one ever has to know that you have one (or several!). Crowns are not only functional restorations; they can also deliver aesthetic value to your smile. A crown made by a skilled dentist will blend in so smoothly with the rest of your smile that no one would be able to tell the difference.
A dental post is a tiny metal rod that’s placed into a prepared tooth to help anchor a dental crown. This is usually needed in cases where the remaining tooth structure isn’t adequate to provide a solid foundation for the crown.
No, it won’t hurt to get a crown. The procedure actually feels very similar to getting a regular dental filling. The dentist will ensure that your tooth is numb before starting the treatment so that you won’t experience any serious discomfort. It’s perfectly normal to experience a little tooth sensitivity or sore gums for a short while after your treatment when the anesthetic injection wears off, but this discomfort is temporary and easy to manage.
Provided you take great care of your dental crown, it can last you for 15 years or even longer.
Simply clean and care for your crown as you would any other tooth. Brush the area twice daily and floss around all of your teeth, including your crown, at least once per day. A crown may totally cover your tooth, but this doesn’t mean that your tooth is safe from dental problems. Good oral care and regular dental checkups will help you keep your crowned tooth healthy and help you hold on to your crown as long as possible.
Our Patients are Proud to Belong to Tomken Dental!
Carrie Banning
Very professional and knowledgeable staff! Not only does this office always make me and my family feel so comfortable and understood, they offer many procedures that can be done in one day. I had a crown done here in one day, it is perfect and I was so relieved as I have a very busy schedule. My 9-year-old son will be seeing Dr. Ameen for orthodontic treatment as well, once again we won't have to be seen at other dental offices. So convenient and state of the art technology. Thank you Tomken Dental for always being accommodating
Linda
I recently had some required, major dental work done and the results were outstanding. Dr. Jasim was extraordinary with her dental expertise, artistic precision and her positive spirit. From my observations at Tomken Dental over the years, it feels as though the patients are treated like family. A shout out to Brittney for keeping my teeth clean over the years, and Irene and Tara for always being so welcoming. I would highly recommend Tomken Dental.
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