Crowns
Dental crowns serve several purposes. Patients suffering from a tooth that has weakened as a result of decay, those with a cracked/chipped tooth and those looking for a means of concealing a worn tooth will benefit from crowns. The timely addition of a dental crown prevents the worsening of tooth cracks/chips, reduces the chances of root canal therapy and also prevents teeth from splitting. Dental crowns may also be placed purely for cosmetic purposes.
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” which is placed over the natural tooth. When a crown is cemented in place, it completely covers the entire visible portion of the natural tooth that lies above the gum line. While dental crowns can be fabricated out of many different material choices, Dr. Gary S Barker generally prefers to use all-ceramic or all-porcelain crowns. This material is durable, provides a better natural color match over any other crown type and is suitable for patients with metal allergies.
The procedure for a dental crown is completed in two appointments. During the first appointment which lasts about an hour and a half, Dr. Gary S Barker will prep the tooth to be crowned. A local anesthetic will be administered to keep you comfortable throughout the appointment. The crown prep involves reshaping the tooth, taking impressions, choosing a tooth shade to match the surrounding teeth and placing a temporary crown. Sometimes a core build-up or post and core is also necessary. A core build-up is essentially a filling which utilizes a special material to help strengthen the tooth and is necessary when a large portion of the tooth structure is missing or if a root canal was previously performed. A post and core is a core build-up but with the addition of a small metal post which is added for extra durability and strength. A temporary crown is fabricated in-office and cemented with temporary cement at the end of the first appointment. The impressions taken during this first appointment are sent to the lab where they will fabricate a permanent crown custom fit for your tooth. During the second appointment, the temporary crown is removed and the permanent crown is cemented in place with permanent cement.
Something to note about temporary dental crowns is that they are just that - a temporary fix until the permanent crown is ready. Because they are temporary, they are not made to last much longer than a few months at most and they do not offer the protection that a permanent crown offers. The lab usually takes about 2 weeks to fabricate the permanent crown. During that 2 week timeframe, necessary precautions will need to be taken. You should avoid sticky, chewy foods (which have the potential of grabbing and pulling off the temporary crown) and hard foods (which could dislodge or break the temporary crown), minimize use of the side of your mouth with the temporary crown and avoid flossing directly in between the teeth where the temporary crown is placed (which could pull the temporary crown off). Once the permanent crown is placed, you will be able to resume your normal diet and oral hygiene routine.
It is also important to know that sometimes permanent crowns can fall off. While this is not common, especially with newly made dental crowns, it can happen. Reasons include, but are not limited to decaying of the underlying tooth and/or loosening of the cement material used to initially place the crown. If you have an existing crown that has come off, you should immediately contact our office at 410-647-6453 to set up an appointment. You can re-cement the crown temporarily using dental adhesive or temporary tooth cement that is sold in stores for this purpose, until you can be seen for evaluation. You should never use any kind of adhesive that is not meant for the oral cavity. This could cause damage to the crown and/or could negatively affect your health. Most of the time, a simple re-cement of the crown is all that is necessary. Occasionally, a new crown is necessary or sometimes an underlying diagnosis is made. After a dental visit with Dr. Gary S Barker, all of your questions will be answered and you will be on your way to a brighter smile.