The process of installing a dental crown

January 11, 2017, Grand Street Dental

The process of installing a dental crown

At least two dentist trips are required when installing dental crowns in Brooklyn NY. The first step involves examining the tooth and preparing it while the second visit involves placing a permanent crown.

When you visit the dentist for the first time, x-rays will be taken to check the roots of your tooth and the surrounding bone. When your tooth has been decaying for a long time or if there is the risk of infection to the pulp of the tooth, then a root canal treatment should be performed before the dental crown treatment.

Before installing a crown, a dentist anesthetizes or numbs your tooth with the gum tissue that surrounds it. A tooth that receives the crown will be filed down together with a chewing surface and its sides so that there can be enough space for the crown. How much of the tooth will be removed will depend on which type of crown is to be installed. For instance, all metal crowns are thin, so they require the removal of only a small tooth structure while all-porcelain crown is a little larger. However, when your tooth has been damaged or decayed, then a large area may be missing and there is a need to fill the tooth before installing the crown. After reshaping your tooth, a dentist uses putty or paste for making an impression of your tooth that should receive a crown. Impression of your teeth, below or above the tooth to receive the crown, is also required so that the crown will not affect your bite.

Such impressions are sent to a dental lab where the crown is manufactured. A crown may be returned to the office of a dentist within two or three weeks. If the crown is made using porcelain, the doctor will choose a shade that matches the teeth color. The doctor prepares for a temporary crown to protect and cover the tooth that is being prepared for the crown. A temporary crown is made in acrylic and it is held in its place with the use of temporary cement.  

With the second visit, your dentist will remove the first crown and check for color and fit of a permanent crown.  When the crown fits, a local anesthetic is used for numbing the tooth while the new crown will be cemented on the tooth.

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