Dental Crowns

What are Dental Crowns?

A dental crown is a cap that surrounds the tooth. Dr. Heather Rhoads Pfefferle will typically use a crown to restore a tooth that has been damaged, but they can also be used for cosmetic purposes in order to improve the appearance of a smile. A crown can be made in three different materials, all-metal, ceramic-on-metal, and all-ceramic. Where the crown is located will determine the best material to use. For example, front teeth should have an all-ceramic crown, if possible, since it looks the most natural. Patients throughout Michigan will often use ceramic-on-metal crowns since they look natural but have the durability that only metal can provide.

Before the Procedure

If you are getting dental crowns or a dental bridge for cosmetic reasons, we recommend that you whiten your teeth first. At Cherry Bay Dental, we offer teeth whitening procedures that can improve the appearance of your smile quickly and easily. It is important to have this procedure done first because the material that crowns and bridges are made out of are both stain and bleach resistant. That means that if it is created to match yellow teeth, it will remain yellow even if you have your teeth whitened at a later date. When you have the procedure done first, your new crown or bridge will be made to match your new brilliantly white teeth.

When preparing for the procedure, we recommend that patients throughout Michigan take a day off of work. If possible, you may want to take a couple of days off. It is normal for teeth to be somewhat sensitive, and it is easier if you don’t have to worry about meeting clients and keeping up with your busy schedule.

The Process

When getting dental crowns installed, it is advisable that you work with an experienced cosmetic dentist that knows how to complete the procedure in a way that looks natural. At Cherry Bay Dental, we can do so while also keeping our patients completely comfortable by using sedation dentistry. The process for both procedures is fairly similar. Before getting started, an impression is taken of the teeth so that the new crown or bridge can be created in a dental lab.

When placing a dental crown around a tooth, Cherry Bay Dental starts by preparing the tooth. A portion of the enamel needs to be removed so that there is room for the new crown to surround the tooth without pushing other teeth out of place. Once this is done, the tooth is cleaned a temporary crown is secured to it using removable glue. Patients typically wear a temporary crown for around two weeks while waiting for a permanent one to be created in the lab. During this time, it is important to be careful with what you eat and how you brush your teeth since the temporary is designed to come off.

When the dental Restoratives are done being created by the lab, patients come back to our Traverse City dentist office, so that the temporaries can be removed and the permanent ones bonded to the tooth. When getting a crown, this cap is secured around the tooth and once bonded in place the procedure is complete. With a bridge, a crown is placed on the two teeth that are surrounding the missing one. On top of the crown is a piece that looks like natural gums that holds the new tooth in place. These two crowns serve as anchors for this synthetic “bridge” and makes a new tooth as durable as it can be. Patients throughout the 49686 area depend on this procedure as a way to replace missing teeth in a way that looks natural and restores the functionality of the missing tooth.