Dental Crowns In Jackson, Tennessee
At Dental Associates, we believe in preventative dentistry – this means that we focus on preventing cavities or diseases that harm our patients’ oral health. However, our oral health is fragile. Sometimes, even with regularly scheduled check-ups and good hygiene habits, bacteria strikes or accidents happen that damage our teeth.
When damage to your teeth occurs, we work fast to protect your natural tooth. Whether damaged by tooth decay, an accident, or disease, we can strengthen and repair the tooth with a dental crown. At Dental Associates, Inc., we offer dental crowns in Jackson, Tennessee to protect, restore and improve the appearance of your teeth!
How is a Dental Crown Used?
A dental crown is often described as a “cap” for the natural tooth. It is tooth-shaped but is hollow on the inside in order to fit over the natural tooth, encasing it on all sides. It is customized to fit your tooth and secured in place using dental cement. This protects the tooth from further decay, chipping, breaking and other harm. Crowns restore a damaged tooth and offer a pain-free alternative to extraction.
Full Porcelain Crowns
Many different types of dental crowns exist, all of them made from different materials. Crowns can be made from gold alloy, stainless steel, ceramic, metal, porcelain, etc.
At Dental Associates, Inc., we offer full porcelain crowns in Jackson. Compared to distracting metal crowns, porcelain crowns are the most aesthetically pleasing. In fact, crowns made from porcelain are considered the ideal dental crown. This is because porcelain closely matches the light reflecting shine and shade of a natural tooth.
Steps to Receiving a Dental Crown
- Because a crown fits tightly over your damaged tooth, the natural tooth must first be reshaped in order to create room for the crown. This means that the tooth is filed down and enamel may be taken from the sides of the tooth. This process is generally painless, however, since the tooth is always numbed with anesthetic beforehand.
- After the natural tooth is reshaped, an impression is taken. This impression takes only a few minutes and is used to craft the customized crown. Your dentist will also determine the exact shade of the surrounding teeth in order for the crown to match.
- The impression is sent to our laboratory where your crown is created. This can take one to two weeks and while you wait, our dentist will create and place a temporary crown to protect the tooth.
- Once the crown comes back from the laboratory, we remove the temporary crown. The new, custom made porcelain crown is fitted over the natural tooth and bonded using dental cement. Once the cement dries, you can enjoy your newly restored smile!
How Long Does a Dental Crown Last?
Porcelain crowns will usually last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. In order to maintain the crown, practice healthy oral hygiene habits. Brush and floss twice daily. Also, avoid hard foods or chewing on ice. This can cause cracks in the crown or even dislodgement. If you grind your teeth, ask our dentist about wearing a mouthguard to prevent cracking.
Many of our patients have chosen a full porcelain crown in Jackson, Tennessee to repair and improve a damaged tooth. Call us at (731) 423-4400 today or visit our office to learn more about how to protect a damaged tooth with a dental crown.