Crowns
A crown
is a prosthetic replacement for a tooth that has been damaged so severely,
that it can no longer be repaired with a filling. Crowns can be made of
metal, resin, ceramics or a combination. Children's crown are prefabricated
and constructed of Stainless Steel; this works because the teeth will be
lost and do not require the precise fit of permanent teeth which need to
last a life time. A crown is used to restore the entire crown (top)
of the tooth. A well made crown will restore the crown of the tooth to
the way it was before damage occurred and restore ideal shape function
and appearance. Crowns are necessary when:
-
loss
of tooth structure from decay or trauma is so extensive that a filling
is impossible
-
a posterior
tooth needs to be shortened
-
cosmetic
reasons
A tooth
is prepared for a crown by removing enough tooth structure to allow for
all the materials necessary to construct the crown.
A Copy
or impression of the prepared tooth is made and poured in stone to reproduce
the shape of the prepared tooth. This copy is sent to the Dental Laboratory
for construction.
When
the crown is returned from the lab it is placed on the tooth and an x-ray
is taken to verify that the model used to construct the tooth was accurate
and the new crown fits the tooth accurately. The bite and contacts (the
pressure with the adjacent teeth) are adjusted next. After the crown
is adjusted and is comfortable, it is cemented over the prepared
tooth, restoring it to ideal shape and function.
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