A chipped, severely decayed, or can not only affect your confidence but also compromise your oral health. Fortunately, dental crowns from our Ocala dentist provide a durable and effective solution, restoring both function and aesthetics. Porcelain crowns, in particular, are designed to blend seamlessly with your natural teeth, offering strength and a lifelike appearance.
Here’s how a dental crown can make all the difference in safeguarding your oral health and bringing back your smile.
Why Are Dental Crowns Needed?
Just like a helmet on our heads, a crown serves as a similar protective “cap” for our teeth. It is tooth-shaped and placed over a damaged tooth to restore shape, size, strength, and overall look. Dr. Pruitt may move forward with placing a dental crown for a variety of reasons, such as when a cavity is too large for a tooth-colored filling.
Anticipating Dental Crown Placement
There is nothing to be afraid of with the . We’ll start by examining the tooth in need of the crown and take X-rays. Next, our dentist will file down and remove a part of the tooth’s outer layer. An impression is then made of the trimmed down tooth and the surrounding teeth. We’ll place a temporary crown until the permanent version is back from the dental lab.
Once the crown has been created, we will ask that you return for a second visit to our Ocala dental office to have it properly cemented onto your tooth.
A Dental Crown Becomes Useful:
1. After Root Canal Treatment
Deep tooth decay or infection should never be ignored as it can negatively affect the tooth’s inner nerve and pulp. Pulp is the soft tissue located beneath the white enamel and the subsequent hard layer, dentin. It contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue.
When the nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, bacteria begins to spread inside of the pulp chamber. This can cause an infection or even an abscessed tooth. To eliminate bacteria from the infected and prevent reinfection, Dr. Pruitt will perform necessary treatment.
We’ll carefully remove the inflamed or infected pulp and clean the inside of the tooth before sealing it back up. Our dentist will then finish restoring the tooth by placing a dental crown on top. The crown will prevent the tooth from breaking and give it strength.
2. When Completing a Dental Implant
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root surgically embedded into the jawbone where there is a tooth missing. The implant itself is a titanium post that closely resembles a screw. For complete restoration, a crown is placed on top of the implant to give you a permanent fixture that looks and operates like a natural tooth.
Learn More → Don’t Let These 4 Dental Implant Myths Hold You Back
The combination of a dental implant paired with a crown provides patients suffering from tooth loss with a slip-free alternative to dentures. Dental implants also preserve existing teeth, restore the ability to chew, and prevent jawbone deterioration.
3. For a Broken or Weakened Tooth
Facial trauma, hard foods, and excessive teeth grinding or clenching can all cause injury. A broken or weakened tooth needs proper protection or it is at risk for further complications. This is where a dental crown comes in. Dr. Pruitt will take impressions, have a dental crown created, and cement it into place for a healthy smile.
4. As Support for a Dental Bridge
Another solution for missing teeth is a dental bridge. Made up of a false tooth held in place by two dental crowns, a bridge literally “bridges” a gap left behind by a missing tooth. It also prevents existing teeth from drifting out of position and distributes the forces in your bite properly.
Related Post → How Dental Bridges Can Restore Appearance & Function
Dr. Pruitt will cement the two dental crowns used onto each of the abutment, or adjacent, teeth that support the bridge. The result is a seamless smile that no longer suffers from the difficulties that missing teeth bring.
Schedule an Appointment
Whether it’s protecting a weakened tooth, covering a dental implant, or enhancing the look of a damaged tooth, a dental crown from our dentist in Ocala, FL, truly comes to the rescue when your smile needs it most. Call Pruitt Dentistry today at (352) 732-3985 to request an appointment.
