What Is a Dental Crown & How Do I Know if I Need One?

In the simplest terms, a dental crown is a little cap that fits over an existing tooth. Fully encasing the tooth, dental crowns provide strength, support and an improved appearance to decayed or broken teeth. Keep reading to learn more.

When might I need a dental crown?

Dental crowns might be a good option for you if one or more of the following applies:

• You have a weak or cracked tooth that is at risk of breaking.
• You have a tooth that is worn down and needs reinforcing.
• One of your teeth has a very large filling and very little natural tooth left.
• A tooth has had a root canal.
• You have a dental bridge that needs to be supported.
• You want to improve the appearance of a misshapen tooth.
• You’ve experienced trauma to your mouth and damage to your teeth.

If you need an emergency dental procedure, be sure to contact one of the dental professionals at The Dentists of Northgate in San Antonio today. Delaying treatment will only make the problem worse.

What is the procedure for placing a dental crown?

Applying a dental crown is relatively straight-forward but you will need to visit your San Antonio family dentist at least twice before the crown is complete. From start to finish the procedure will involve some or all of the following steps:

• An X-ray of the tooth to receive the crown.
• If the tooth is severely decayed a root canal treatment may be required.
• Once the tooth is ready for the crown, one of the dentists at our San Antonio clinic will numb the tooth and the surrounding area.
• Your tooth will be reshaped to accommodate the crown. This could mean that your tooth will be filed down, or if you’ve experienced significant decay, built-up using a filling.
• After the tooth is prepared, one of our dentists will make an impression of the tooth receiving the crown as well as the surrounding teeth so that the crown can be custom made to fit your mouth.
• A temporary crown will be placed in your mouth while you wait for the permanent crown to be manufactured.
• In the final step of the procedure, one of our dentists will remove your temporary crown and the permanent crown will be cemented into place.

If you would like to learn more about dental crowns or if you need an emergency dental procedure, please don’t hesitate to contact us or stop by our San Antonio clinic today. A member of our friendly, multilingual team will be happy to take care of you and your entire family!