Dental Crowns Kennewick, WA

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Wearing a bright and beautiful smile each day can go a long way to increase your confidence level and positively impact the way in which you interact with others. Seeing any imperfections in your teeth may cause feelings of insecurity and even social anxiety.

Dental crowns are a terrific way to restore the strength and beauty of your damaged teeth, as they’re made to completely cover the surface of the affected tooth in a way that is customized to that individual tooth. This not only improves the overall appearance of your teeth, but it can also help you to chew and enjoy food better, too.

Reasons for Dental Crowns

Crowns can be used to remedy and improve a number of tooth-related conditions, such as the following:

  • To attach a bridge as a way to make up for a missing tooth
  • Covering a root canal
  • To restore a broken or cracked tooth
  • To conceal a root canal
  • To improve the appearance of the tooth
  • When the filling required by your tooth is actually too big for it to support
  • To conceal a dental implant
  • To strengthen a weak tooth from things like decay and prevent it from breaking
  • To bring back the whiteness in teeth and restore your confident smile
  • To hold up a tooth that has significantly decreased in size when a large filling has to be inserted

Types of Crowns

Crowns can be constructed from a number of materials including porcelain, composite resin, ceramic, stainless steel and other metal alloys; the type of material recommended by your doctor will depend on your particular situation and its needs.

Alloy Metals

These could range from gold to platinum-based metals, although base metal alloys like cobalt- chromium, and nickel-chromium are also available. Alloy metal crowns are typically long lasting and can withstand the wear and tear that’s associated with constant biting and chewing without chipping or breaking. Most of the time, alloy metal crowns are inserted on teeth that occupy the less visible areas at the back of the mouth such as molars, due to their appearance.

Resin

Resin crowns are an affordable option that can cover a multitude of imperfections, but as with all things, you get what you pay for, so they tend to fracture at some point when compared with other stronger materials like porcelain.

As such, they’re a great option for kids that need a crown for a tooth that is going to come out because they end up being a temporary solution in any case.

Porcelain

Porcelain crowns can be customized to match your natural tooth color based on the teeth that are placed adjacent to them. They’re usually fused with metal to strengthen them as the porcelain portion of the crown can be quite fragile, as you can imagine.

On the downside, the metal component can start to show through over time, especially along the gum area. This makes porcelain crowns the preferred choice for back teeth, long bridges and even front teeth when they’re weakening and in need of metal strength without the unsightly appearance of a metal crown.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel crowns are used on a temporary basis to hold a filling in place while a permanent crown is being constructed from another material. Stainless steel crowns are commonly used to address problems with children’s teeth because it only takes one visit to fit them and they come at an accessible price point.

Permanent vs Temporary Crowns

We might recommend the installation of a temporary crown while a permanent crown is being constructed for you at our dental lab, a process that takes two to three weeks at a time.

Temporary crowns, on the other hand, can be quickly put together in our office and are typically made from materials like stainless steel and acrylic-based materials.

How Dental Crowns Are Inserted

Step 1: During your initial visit, we will first examine the tooth which requires a crown to see if there’s any tooth decay. If we find your tooth is in a state that would cause an injury during the procedure, then we might perform a root canal treatment to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Step 2: In performing the procedure, we will start by numbing the tooth and the area surrounding it with anesthetic. This is so you don’t experience any pain during the procedure.

Step 3: The next step is to file your tooth until it’s the perfect size to fit the crown. Then an impression of the tooth might be taken using a digital scanner or some putty, so as to mold the crown to fit your tooth perfectly, depending on the type of material used.

This mold will then be sent to a lab where your custom-made crown will be created and sent back us in about two to three weeks. However, if you’re having a temporary crown fitted, then we might just use an existing mold to hold your tooth in place while the custom one is being made.

The color shade and type of crown to be manufactured will depend on your preferences as well as the type of tooth being fitted for the crown.

Step 4: Once your permanent crown is ready, you’ll then be called to our practice where we’ll follow a similar procedure as the temporary tooth to insert it. Due to the use of a local anesthetic, inserting a crown is a painless procedure and is certainly nothing to be afraid of.

Your Oral Hygiene After Getting a Crown Fitted

In the case of a temporary crown, it’s important to take a few precautions with your teeth because it’s very delicate compared with a permanent crown. So, you’d have to avoid things like chewy and hard foods or use the other side of your mouth without the crown when chewing.

Also, use a sliding motion when flossing instead of pulling out the thread each time, as that might dislodge the temporary crown.

Lastly, maintain good oral hygiene and make sure to visit us on a regular basis for check-ups and to get your teeth cleaned professionally every now and then.

Tri-City Dental Crowns Conclusion

Make an appointment with us at Tri-City Dental Care today to enjoy a dental care experience like no other. With the relaxing spa-like ambiance of our practice and the attention of highly experienced doctors at your disposal, getting your dental crowns fitted will be a breeze, as are all the other dental care procedures that we have on offer.

This includes halitosis treatment, comprehensive exams, teeth cleaning, implants, inlay/onlay, emergencies and more.

To schedule an appointment with us, call 509.579.0759.