Dental Crowns Jacksonville, NC

Dental crowns (often referred to as a “cap”) are a restoration used to repair damaged teeth. One of the most common uses of a dental crown is to restore a tooth that is significantly decayed or otherwise damaged, such as in a break or fracture.

Tooth restoration using dental crowns is one of the most common dental procedures at Family Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry. A dental crown is custom-made to fit over the entire tooth, starting at the gumline, to restore the tooth to its original shape and size.

Dental crowns can be made of gold, porcelain, or porcelain-fused-to-metal. Porcelain crowns are popular because they match the natural color and appearance of teeth. Your dentist will determine which type of dental crown is right for your smile.

Crowns serve many purposes, including:

A dental crown is likely the best option when teeth are cracked and damaged beyond the point that a porcelain veneer can fix. Natural-looking dental crowns repair broken teeth by covering and protecting the remaining tooth structure from further decay. Dental crowns are also used in conjunction with dental implants; the crown sits atop the implanted tooth. The final product is a beautiful tooth that looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth. Unless you tell them, no one would ever know you have an implant and crown. If your fillings are old and damaged, a dental crown may be the best way to repair and save the teeth.

Your dentist will explain the different types of crowns we offer, and he will decide which option would work best for you after a thorough examination. You may have one of the following types of dental restorations:

Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) Crowns – Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns combine the durability of metal with the natural look of porcelain. We can match these crowns to the shade of your teeth. PFM crowns can restore both front and back teeth and are long-lasting, durable, and natural-looking.

Pressed Ceramic Crowns – A pressed ceramic crown has a hard inner core, but the core is ceramic instead of metal. To make this inner core, ceramic is melted and pressed in an oven at a very high temperature, adding multiple layers of porcelain. Like all-porcelain crowns, pressed ceramic crowns mimic the translucency of natural tooth enamel.
This type of crown can also be used on both back and front teeth.

Same-day CEREC® Crowns – If you’re a candidate for a same-day crown, we will use our CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) technology to create your dental crown here at our office. Your dentist will use this innovative technology to take digital dental impressions of your teeth and then use those impressions to design a custom crown. Once your dentist designs your crown, they’ll send the image files to an on-site milling machine to craft your new crown from a solid ceramic block.

The tooth is prepared: To prepare your tooth for a crown, your dentist will remove some of your natural enamel, which is painless. Removing some enamel from your tooth allows space for your new crown and ensures that it will stay in place once it’s bonded to the tooth. Your dentist may also use a filling material to build up certain parts of your tooth, the main purpose being to create a solid foundation for your dental crown.

Impressions are taken: Next, your dentist will take impressions of your teeth using digital scanning technology. The impressions are then sent to the lab, where the crown will be fabricated.

Temporary crown placement: Since traditional crowns require two to three weeks for production, we must place a temporary crown on your tooth during the first visit. Temporary crowns are usually made of resin or acrylic.

Permanent crown placement: When the lab finishes your dental crown, they’ll return it to us. Then, we will remove the temporary crown, check the shape, fit, and color of your new crown, and bond the crown to your tooth using a special dental cement. Your dentist will provide after-care instructions, and you will brush and floss your teeth as usual. Crowns, once stable, require no special maintenance.

There are many benefits to this type of tooth restoration, including:

Get the dental crown care you need by calling our Jacksonville, NC dentists at (910) 353-5171 today.