Dental crowns are prosthetic teeth that are usually made out of durable porcelain or zirconia material. They are made to cover up and protect a tooth that has been damaged by decay, a crack, or has received root canal treatment. A crown is built to look and feel just like a real tooth. After the compromised tooth is made smaller in all directions to accommodate the crown, it is cemented over the tooth with permanent dental cement.
Because they cover the entire tooth, dental crowns are ideal for repairing severely-damaged teeth. A crown from Gainesville Dentistry Co. restores both the natural function and appearance of your tooth. Contact us now for an appointment with your dentist in Gainesville and see if a crown is right for you.
Primarily, dental crowns are used for repairing damaged teeth. If you have a very deep cavity, a chipped or cracked tooth, or you’ve gotten root canal therapy, Dr. Feldman may recommend that you get a crown to repair your tooth.
Dental crowns can also sometimes be used for cosmetic purposes when veneers or bonding can not be used due to the condition of the tooth or teeth.
After accepting your treatment plan for a crown, you’ll come into Gainesville Dentistry Co. to have your tooth prepared. Dr. Feldman will trim and remove damaged material from the tooth using our quiet, efficient electric handpieces. Then, we will take impressions of the tooth using our intraoral scanner, which will be used to build your permanent crown.
Our team will place a temporary crown on your tooth to protect it, then send you home with proper instructions on how to care for the area until your permanent crown is ready. Our partner dental lab will fabricate your new crown based on your adjacent teeth, your bite, and your teeth color (we will use shade guides and photos as needed to communicate this to the lab). It usually takes 3 weeks to build your permanent crown and get it back to our office.
Once your permanent crown arrives at our office, you’ll come back for one more appointment. We will remove your temporary crown, clean the area, then check the fit. We will make any necessary adjustments to the crown before cementing it. We will also take a pre-cementation x-ray to assure a proper fit. You will have ample time to look at your new crown in various lighting as needed before approving it. Finally, we will attach the crown to the tooth permanently using dental cement.
Crowns are usually the best choice for treating damaged teeth. In some cases, you may also need a root canal along with your crown. For example, this is necessary if you have a tooth infection, or a broken tooth that may become infected.
Dr. Feldman is a conservative dentist, which means he will only recommend a crown if it’s truly the best option for your case. You can trust the team at Gainesville Dentistry Co. to provide the expert care you need. Get in touch today to find out if a crown is right for you.
To begin the process of making a dental crown, Dr. Feldman will take digital or physical impressions of your teeth. This information will be sent to a dental lab where your crown will be built by an experienced lab technician. Using your impression, the dental technician will create a model of your bite, and then build a tooth-shaped mold for your dental crown.
Then, the dental lab will cast the dental crown using this mold. The lab will use durable ceramic materials that are similar to natural enamel in color and translucency. Dr. Feldman will work with the lab throughout this process to make sure that your crown looks and feels natural, and will fit into your mouth perfectly.
Then, when the crown is done, the dental lab will send it to the team at Gainesville Dentistry Co. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for our lab partners to complete your crown and send it back. Once it’s ready, you’ll come back to our office to get your permanent crown. That’s all there is to it!
This is a bit of a tricky question. Technically, no dental treatment lasts forever, and dental crowns are no exception. Eventually, your dental crown may wear out, and require replacement. The good news is that dental crowns are extremely durable. Today’s modern dental crowns can easily last up to 15 years before requiring replacement, and some patients may keep a crown for 20 years or longer.
Why do dental crowns need to be replaced? Simply put, your crown goes through a lot of wear and tear. As you bite, and chew, the crown may loosen, or even become cracked or chipped. As your crown wears down, it doesn’t provide as much protection for the underlying tooth. So to keep your tooth healthy, it’s necessary to check on your crown, and replace it if it ever becomes worn out.
That’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to come to Gainesville Dentistry Co. for a consultation with Dr. Feldman every six months. During your checkup, Dr. Feldman will examine your teeth and your dental work to make sure everything looks good. If he notices that your crown is wearing out, he can work with you to build a new one, replace it, and keep your smile in great shape.
The average cost of a crown is between $1300 and $1700. However, this may vary depending on your oral health, the type of crown you get, and a variety of other factors. There’s no way to accurately predict the cost of a crown unless you see a dentist like Dr. Feldman for a consultation in Gainesville.
During your consultation, Dr. Feldman can help you explore your options for restorative dentistry, including dental crowns, and give you an overview of treatment and an estimate of how much your crown will cost.
At Gainesville Dentistry Co. we file to insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We also offer our in-house dental membership plan for patients who do not have insurance, which provides a 15% discount on most treatments, including dental crowns. We also can provide financing through Sunbit, CareCredit, and Proceed, which lets you split the cost of your treatment into low monthly payments.
