General Dentistry – Dental Crown Procedure
Finding a dental provider who makes you feel like family is priceless. At Artistic Dentistry we offer affordable dental crowns right here in St Louis while treating our patients like family!
The image to the right is of porcelain crowns. One of these replaces the tooth area above the gum line. It virtually becomes the new outer surface of your tooth. They’re made out of porcelain or metal or a combination of both.
When Do You Need a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns are an option for people who have cavities that are affecting multiple surfaces of their teeth. Crowns are more permanent than fillings, so if you have extensive decay, you may want to consider getting one. It’s like when you need to replace your bike tire because it has too many patches – at some point you’ll need a new one! We’ll offer you our recommendation for dental crowns, but the final decision is up to you. All of our dental crown procedures are done right here at our home office in St. Louis area.
Porcelain Dental Crowns
Another instance when you’ll need a crown is after a root canal. In that case, you’ve still got your tooth remaining, which is a good thing. However, the tooth is no longer getting nourished by the roots, as they’re dead. The tooth becomes brittle and it absolutely must have a crown over it to protect it from breaking when you chew. There’s a lot of pressure bearing down on teeth during chewing — those chewing muscles of yours are the strongest muscles in the body! So, when your tooth isn’t strong it can easily break. That’s why you need to get a crown put on a tooth that’s had a root canal.
We may recommend a dental crown for a variety of reasons but, most likely, it will be for one of the following:
- To restore a tooth that may have deteriorated.
- To strengthen a tooth. For example, after a root canal, you’ll want to crown the tooth to keep it from breaking, as the root is dead.
- For cosmetic reasons – to improve the appearance of a tooth.
- To restore a lost tooth once an implant has been placed. This is called an “implant crown.”
How Long Will It Take to Get My Dental Crown?
Today, dentists can purchase equipment to make crowns in their offices the same day. And, although we are a big fan of technology, when it comes to crowns he prefers to work with lab technicians who are professionals at customizing crowns to look and feel natural. In-office dental crowns no doubt are functional, but we prefer the fit and look of crowns made sculpted and and colored to his specifications.
Hand-crafted crowns are put through a finishing process that customizes them fully to your mouth. They’re no more costly than those made on machines in dental offices. So you can get a custom look and fit for the same price as a crown made in-office on a machine. Although you won’t get the crown the same day, you’ll have a temporary made that looks like the real thing. Within a week your porcelain crown will be back from the lab.
Our St Louis Patients Describe Their Experiences with Dental Crowns
My crown for my front tooth looks great ! I was very nervous about how it would look but you would never know it wasn’t my tooth ! The experience at Artistic Dentistry is always great ! Never any pain and they are always very patient.
My lower right molar tooth had an infection that needed root canal. The temporary filling was smooth and they got a real looking crown for me. This was my first (and hopefully I won’t need one for long time) root canal the pain was significantly less than what I have been hearing from others. I also didn’t feel “one big tooth” after the crown was put in.
My new crown looks great and feels good. It was painless.