You do your best to keep your teeth healthy and intact, but life happens. If your tooth gets damaged in an accident or faces a root canal treatment, it may require restoration. Restoring your tooth with a crown protects the tooth from further damage, restores its appearance, and gives you back the ability to use it to chew, bite, or speak. Leaving a tooth unprotected by a crown leaves it susceptible to further damage, and leaves it susceptible to needing a dental extraction. Advanced dental technology has allowed for crowns to be created and applied to your tooth in a single visit.
What Is a Crown?
A crown is also known as a cap. Think of it like a permanent helmet for a vulnerable tooth. A crown can be made of materials like porcelain, zirconia, metal, or porcelain-fused-to-metal. The material used depends on the location of the tooth that the crown will be restoring. For instance, porcelain has a very lifelike appearance, but it is not as durable or strong as the other materials; porcelain would be a good option for a tooth in the front of the mouth. Molars do most of the heavy chewing in the back of the mouth, so crowns covering these teeth require a more durable material.
E4D PlanScan Technology
Traditional methods of creating a crown involved two visits to your dentist. The first visit would require your dentist or prosthodontist to take a mold of your mouth, teeth, and bite. These impressions would be sent to an off-site lab where your crown would be created. The lab would create a crown specific to the impressions made and would send it back to your dentist’s office. This process would usually take one to two weeks. With E4D PlanScan technology, your dentist can use digital technology to take an accurate scan of your mouth. The crown would be crafted in the office, which will allow your crown to be fitted in the same visit that the scan took place.
Can a crown restore your tooth?
You can receive a crown in a single visit. To schedule a consultation with Austin Prosthodontics in Austin, TX, call 512-250-9444. We also proudly welcome patients from Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Leander, and all surrounding Texas communities.
