Denver dentist, Dentist in Denver, CO

Crowns

Each tooth in your mouth must be strong enough to support your normal chewing activity. Did you know that some of the fillings in your back teeth (your molar teeth) could be so large that they reduce the chewing strength and resistance to fracture by 50%! Just imagine biting down on a cookie or bread crust and having your tooth break into pieces!

When the strength of your tooth is compromised because of extensive decay or big old fillings, a crown is used to restore your tooth's chewing strength.

Weak teeth may need restoration with crown for other reasons, too. These would include, cracks and fractures, wear through the enamel from tooth grinding or malocclusion, or following a root canal filling. The pictures on the left show before and after crown placement on an anterior tooth. This crown is necessary because of a traumatic fracture. The crown is designed to match the adjacent teeth in color and in shape. So, if your tooth is beyond repair with a filling material, we will recommend the best option to save your tooth, a full crown. Long term benefits of crown restoration are durability, natural appearance, and overall support of your chewing function.

Types of Crowns

There are several design options when using full crowns. Gold crowns used to be the standard. For esthetic reasons, porcelain fused over top of the gold has been developed and is now extremely natural appearing and very strong and durable. Recently ceramic cores with porcelain overtop has been developed and is proving to be strong and very attractive in appearance.

With better bonding technology and techniques, we no longer have to use full coverage crowns for strength. The appeal of preserving tooth structure has led to the use of bonded veneers and onlays. Dr. Ferrell will make the determination from these options for your specific situation. You can be comfortable in knowing that your new tooth will be virtually unnoticeable and will flawlessly complement the rest of your smile. It will also be comfortable to chew on and give you years of service.

Procedure

The crown procedure involves two appointments in our office. The first appointment is called the preparation appointment, the second is called the seat or delivery appointment.
The procedure begins with preparation of the natural tooth. All decay or weak tooth structure is removed. Usually a foundation restoration is placed to replace some of the deeper tooth structure lost to decay. The tooth preparation is completed and an impression is made. The impression is sent to our professional dental laboratory where your new restoration will be crafted. While your new crown is created, we will provide you with a temporary restoration. Our temporary restorations will resemble your natural teeth so that you can continue with your daily life without worrying about a missing or unattractive tooth.