Whether you have chipped your tooth on a hard piece of candy or have had tooth decay that resulted in a large cavity, your dentist may recommend that you have a dental crown placed. Think of a prosthetic crown as a sort of cap that covers the natural crown of the damaged tooth to protect it from further harm. The application of a crown is a standard dental procedure. Even so, if you are planning to have a crown placed soon, it may help you to understand what to expect from the treatment: Here are a few details about the placement of a crown:

What type of crown will be placed?

One of the first things your dentist may discuss is the kind of crown you will have placed. There are several options for crown material, such as stainless steel, resin, ceramic and porcelain. It depends on your specific situation, but as a general rule of thumb, porcelain and ceramic crowns are most often used to improve the aesthetic appearance of a damaged tooth. These types of crowns are tooth-colored and have a similar sheen to natural tooth enamel. Thus, they are the least noticeable and blend very well with your other natural teeth. That being said, resin and stainless steel crowns still offer quality and dependability. However, resin is tooth-colored without the sheen of porcelain, and stainless steel offers a metallic appearance.

How many visits are involved?

Once you know which type you are receiving, you will have an idea of the number of visits that will be needed. Stainless steel and resin crowns, like same-day porcelain crowns, can be placed in a single visit. However, a standard porcelain crown will require two visits.

The first visit for the placement of a porcelain crown will be to prepare the tooth for the crown. The dentist will have to debride or shape the damaged tooth so that he or she can properly affix a crown to it. After the debridement, the dentist can make an impression of your tooth so to have a custom-fitted crown fabricated at a dental laboratory.

The first visit will also include the placement of a temporary crown to protect your tooth until your next visit during which a permanent crown is placed. This is usually a quick procedure, as the permanent crown is already made and the dentist only needs to secure it to your tooth. At first, the crown may feel a bit foreign, but within a couple of days, you will forget it is even there!

If you think that you may need a crown, contact a local dentist to schedule an appointment.