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Damage to a tooth doesn’t have to destroy your smile. Dental crowns provided by your Phoenix, AZ, dentists at CenterCare Dental Group improve tooth function and appearance.

How crowns can protect your smile

As strong as tooth enamel is, it’s not quite invincible. Your teeth can break if you’re in a car accident, you bite into a very hard object or food, or somebody accidentally elbows you in the face during a basketball game.

Cracks caused by trauma, wear and tear, or grinding or clenching your teeth also damage teeth and increase the likelihood that they’ll break. Once your tooth is cracked, it doesn’t take much to break it. Biting into an apple, pretzel or even a sandwich can cause a piece of tooth to break away.

Cracks also make your teeth more susceptible to tooth decay or inflammation or infection of your tooth pulp. Even tiny cracks make it easy for bacteria to penetrate your teeth.

Luckily dental crowns offer several important benefits for damaged teeth. Crowns are hollow restorations that cover teeth completely on all four sides. They’re made of materials that are tough enough to handle years of wear and tear and look like tooth enamel, including ceramic, resin, porcelain and porcelain-fused-to-metal.

The restorations are often used to:

• Strengthen Cracked Teeth: Adding a crown to a cracked tooth reinforces it and greatly reduces the risk of a fracture. The crown absorbs strong biting forces, protecting the tooth underneath.
• Completely Restore Fractured Teeth: Broken teeth are not very attractive, but appearance isn’t the only issue if your tooth breaks. Broken teeth can cut your lips and tongue and make chewing difficult. Depending on the severity of the break, broken teeth can be quite painful. Crowns cover painful exposed edges of the teeth and also restore their natural shape, width and length.
• Make Weak Teeth Stronger: Teeth don’t have to be cracked to be at risk of breaking. If your teeth are brittle, they’re more likely to crumble without crowns. Removing tooth structure during root canal therapy can also weaken teeth. Crowns protect fragile teeth.

Restore your damaged teeth with dental crowns. Call (602) 671-3956 to schedule an appointment with your CenterCare Dental Group dentists in Phoenix, AZ.

Need crowns from your Phoenix, AZ, dentist?

Dentistry is a work of art and dental crowns are a perfect example. A dental crown, also known as a cap, is a cover that fits over teeth to provide reinforcement and hide unappealing teeth. Dental crowns are also used to support other dental appliances, like bridgework.

More About Crowns

Unlike veneers, crowns completely cover a tooth above the gum line and hides damaged, decayed, or unattractive teeth and doesn’t need a natural tooth structure to support it.

Crowns are made of several materials: porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and all-porcelain crowns with zirconia.

The advantages of crowns are that they:

• Strengthen damaged teeth
• Improves chewing and bite functions
• Crowns are indistinguishable from natural teeth

The Process of Crowning

The capping process takes two to three visits:

• Your tooth is prepared during the first visit to receive its new crown.
• Your Phoenix dentist treats any decays before the procedure.
• Then they shape your tooth so it fits under the cap.
• If your tooth needs to be built up first, your dentist will build it up with filling material.
• Impressions of your teeth are taken, digitally or with a putty-like material, then sent to a dental laboratory to make models of your teeth.
• A technician creates the crown using the model to improve your smile and function.
• Before getting your permanent crown, your dentist will give you a temporary crown in the meantime.
• Your permanent crown is attached to your tooth using resin or cement.

Caring for Your Crowns

1. Use a nightguard if you have a clenching and tooth-grinding problem.
2. Brush your teeth and floss to reduce dental-plaque buildup.
3. Drink plenty of water to get rid of food debris.
4. Use fluoride-containing products to protect teeth against tooth decay.

If you have any questions about crowns, call your Phoenix, AZ dentist today!

Do you have a damaged tooth? A dental crown will not only restore its appearance but also improve the tooth’s function. Phoenix, AZ, dentists Drs. Linda Beguin and Gary Steen of CenterCare Dental Group help you and your family maintain healthy, attractive smiles with a range of dental treatments and regular checkups.

What are crowns?

Crowns are hollow restorations placed on top of teeth. Before you receive a crown, your tooth must be reduced in size to ensure that the restoration fits properly. In the past, porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns were the primary options. Although these crowns are effective, they require a two-appointment process, a temporary crown and the services of a dental laboratory to create the crown.

CEREC crowns, the newest crown option, are created while you wait at your Phoenix dentist’s office. Your dentist uses an intraoral scanner to make a digital impression of your mouth, designs the crown using CAD/CAM software, then sends it to an in-office milling machine that creates the restoration from a block of ceramic or resin. You only need one appointment when you opt for a CEREC crown and don’t need to wear a temporary crown.

How can a crown help me?

Crowns are often used to restore teeth that have broken or fractured due to trauma, accidents and falls. Broken teeth can cut your lips and mouth, make chewing and biting difficult, and cause tooth pain. Adding a crown to the tooth restores its height and width, enhancing your appearance and your ability to enjoy meals.

The restorations help prevent fractures and breaks when they’re added to cracked teeth. They may also be recommended if your teeth are brittle, fragile or weak. Weakening can occur due to certain dental procedures, such as large fillings or root canal therapy, but can occur as a normal part of aging.

Crowns are a good choice if certain cosmetic issues detract from your appearance. Your dentist may suggest them if you have a discolored tooth or want to change the shape or length of a tooth.

Restore and preserve your healthy smile with dental crowns! Call Phoenix, AZ, dentists Drs. Linda Beguin and Gary Steen of CenterCare Dental Group at (602) 671-3956 to schedule your appointment.