A beautiful and symmetrical smile may not be as easy to achieve. Have your teeth incurred severe trauma or tooth decay? Do you now have a yellowing or dulling smile as a result of your weekend rosé binges? Has your set of pearly whites lost its glimmer and has become somewhat dull?
Thankfully, at Hampstead Dental in Melbourne, you can improve your smile with the help of dental crowns! Dental crowns offer brilliant solutions to all your dental concerns and help you achieve a smile worth remembering.
WHAT ARE DENTAL CROWNS?
Your teeth are incredibly resilient to pressure and force. However, over time your teeth can get damaged, with no fault of your own. Dental ailments like tooth decay, trauma, or wear and tear due to overuse can happen after a certain period of time. Dental crowns are covers or “caps” that snapped into place on top of prepared teeth in order to restore tooth structure.
These dental crowns can be used to restore or preserve the weakened structure of the tooth and reestablish the shape, size, and appearance. It also helps enhance the strength of the tooth and is a great option for people with insufficient remaining tooth structure and extensive damage.
TYPES OF DENTAL CROWNS
Think of dental crowns as tooth-shaped beanies that are snugly fitted to your teeth. They are colour-matched to give you the most natural tooth experience.
- Metal crowns: If you’re looking for long term solutions for your missing or damaged teeth, metal crowns are a great solution. Crowns made up of gold or other metal alloys can withstand hard chewing forces and hence are more suitable for back molars.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal: Porcelain-metal bonded dental crowns are most commonly used for enhanced aesthetics. The inside of the teeth is fabricated using metal and the outer portion of the crown is made up of porcelain. As a result, it has a dual advantage – the metal provides strength and the porcelain brings out the aesthetic values.
- Ceramic crowns: Typically used for the anterior, visible teeth, ceramic or full porcelain crowns blend in well with your natural tooth colour, making them discreet and beautiful-looking.
WHEN ARE DENTAL CROWNS NEEDED?
If you’ve been wondering whether you need dental crowns, head on to Hampstead Dental in Melbourne to get assessed for it. Below are some of the common reasons for getting dental crowns:
- To protect or restore a tooth from fracturing due to accident or trauma
- To protect a weak tooth (possibly from decay) from fracturing
- To replace a tooth that is too large for a filling
- To get a cap over an implant placed
- To restore the tooth on which root canal therapy has been performed
- To cover discoloured, misshaped, or badly formed tooth
- To hold a dental bridge in place in cases where multiple teeth are missing
- To replace a missing tooth and to avoid shifting of the remaining teeth
HOW ARE DENTAL CROWNS PLACED?
At Hampstead Dental, dental crowns are usually completed in two dental visits:
- The first visit
During the first visit, our dental professional will examine and prepare your tooth by removing minimal tooth material from all around the crown. This allows space for the succeeding dental crown to sit on. After reshaping the tooth, a small intraoral handheld scanner is used to take 3D digital image of the tooth. At Hampstead dental we use this innovative technology to make a computer-generated model of the hard and soft tissue without using the manual impressions. This improves the accuracy of the impression while giving the patient a more comfortable experience. This digital impression is then sent to the dental laboratory where they begin to fabricate your fully customized dental crown. A temporary crown may be placed to help you eat better while you wait for your permanent crown. - The second visit
At the second visit, the permanent crown is checked in your mouth to ensure it is the correct fit and colour. Then the new crown is permanently placed on your tooth surface using bonding cement.
HOW LONG DO DENTAL CROWNS LAST?
On average, dental crowns last between 5 and 15 years. The lifespan of a crown is entirely dependent on the amount of wear and tear the crown is exposed to and how well you take care of it. Certain oral habits like smoking, grinding or clenching of the teeth may reduce the longevity of the crowns.
HOW TO CARE FOR DENTAL CROWNS?
If you want your dental crown to last, make sure that you keep them healthy. Taking care of your dental crowns after you receive them is crucial to prolong their life cycle. Here are some things you can do to keep your crowns for longer:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss with dental floss or interdental cleaners at least once a day.
- Avoid chewing hard foods like ice or candies, or other hard objects like pencils as it could break the dental crowns.
- If you are a nocturnal teeth-grinder, your dentist may recommend an oral brace or mouthguard for you to wear while sleeping.
- Visit your dentist regularly or at least twice a year for professional teeth cleanings.
If you’re tired of hiding your teeth when you smile, dental crowns may just be the solution for you. At Hampstead Dental in Melbourne, you will receive dental crowns that look and feel great! Contact us today for your very own dental crown.
