How Dental Crowns Strengthen Damaged Teeth

Dental crowns strengthen damaged teeth. Whether you have an old amalgam filling, a poorly shaped tooth, deep decay, or other issue, a crown can restore your tooth to full health, performance, and appearance. Here at the Lorain, OH, office of family dentist Dr. Jennifer Robb, we offer crown placement to restore our patients' smiles—read on to learn if this treatment is right for you.

Porcelain crowns have four functions

• They protect, shore up, and improve the appearance of teeth spoiled by cavities, infection, oral trauma, or congenital malformation.
• They support fixed bridgework composed of one, two, or more artificial teeth.
• They protect teeth that have been restored through root canal treatment
• They complete dental implants.

In all of these functions, crowns readily blend in with your natural teeth, as they are custom-shaped and colored to match your smile.

The crown treatment

During a consultation at our Lorain office, Dr. Robb carefully evaluates possible crown patients to ensure that their remaining tooth structure is strong enough to support the restoration. If it can, she takes oral impressions and numbs the tooth with locally-injected anesthetic. She removes the damaged enamel and filling material.

Next, your family dentist shapes the tooth for a proper crown fit, and a temporary crown is placed on the tooth to protect it until the next dental visit.

In the interim, the dental lab fabricates the crown. A technician uses Dr. Robb's instructions and crafts the restoration with perfect fit and color. When bonded over the tooth at the next office visit, the crown looks natural and allows for normal oral function. The American Dental Association (ADA) says that a crown keeps the tooth structure strong and greatly diminishes the chances of fracture.

Caring for a porcelain crown

Dr. Robb instructs her patients to brush and floss carefully every day, as well as visit the Lorain office twice yearly for check-ups and cleanings. Typically, crowns last for 10 to 15 years or longer with good oral hygiene practices.

Need dental work? Give us a call

Phone our Lorain office today at (440) 960-1940 to schedule an appointment with your family dentist, Dr. Jennifer Robb.