Get a Dental Crown in Dallas by William P. Huckin, DDS
Dr. William Huckin places dental crowns in Dallas, TX, to meet the dental health needs of our patients. A dental crown can serve many purposes in restorative dentistry.
You will need a dental crown when a damaged tooth needs repair. A crown will protect a weak tooth after a root canal treatment or improve the look of your smile. A dentist can also use a dental crown to support a dental bridge or cap a dental implant.
A dental crown is a porcelain topper your dentist adheres to a prepared tooth or an embedded post. It serves as a new tooth and can last for many years as long as you keep practicing good oral hygiene habits. Our office utilizes high-quality composite resin for crowns, ensuring a natural look and feel.
Dr. Huckin recommends dental crowns in Dallas to patients with chipped, cracked, or damaged teeth. They are also great for covering a stained tooth. Crowns are handy restorative solutions.
What to Expect from The Dental Crowns Process
You should expect to visit the dental office at least twice throughout the dental crown process. If your dentist decides that you need a dental crown, you will schedule a second visit.
During your second visit, the dentist will prepare the damaged tooth with a thorough cleaning and take dental impressions. The dental impressions will allow your dentist to create the best possible crown for you and ensure a natural fit.
Then, your dentist will place a temporary crown to protect the prepared tooth and restore normal function. A dental laboratory will make your new crown.
Your dental crown will be ready about two weeks after your previous visit. Then, your dentist will reach out to you to schedule a return visit to place the tooth crown.
Your dentist will remove the stand-in crown, gently clean the area, and secure the new dental crown on the tooth. Our team will make sure that the crown fits snugly and does not obstruct your bite pattern before securing the crown with permanent dental cement.
How long does a crown last? In most cases, the lifespan is between 5 and 15 years. The length of a crown’s life depends on your lifestyle habits and oral care routine. If patients eat a healthy diet and practice good oral care, their crowns should last closer to 15 years. We provide recommendations for proper care so that you can get the most longevity out of your dental crowns.
Dentists do not recommend smoking after you get a dental crown. The sucking motion may dislodge the crown while the dental cement is still setting.
What Can A Dental Crown Take Care Of?
Dental crowns are one of the most versatile tools a dentist has. They can treat a wide range of cosmetic and restorative dental concerns. Cosmetically, crowns are a great choice for discolored teeth that don’t respond to traditional whitening techniques.
If you have a “dead” tooth that’s gray from trauma, a dental crown can repair and cover the entire thing. This also makes crowns useful for malformed teeth or a tooth with defects. The best part is that modern crowns look like real teeth.
Misshapen teeth aren’t only a cosmetic issue. Depending on where the crown is in the mouth, you may also experience challenges speaking, chewing, or eating properly. This is the same when you have a broken or chipped tooth.
A dental crown fills back in the part of your tooth that’s not missing. In addition to complicating your tooth function, a broken tooth can expose the dental nerves inside, causing a lot of pain. A dental crown protects those again.
When you get a root canal, a dentist will remove the infected pulp inside the tooth. We fill the space with a biocompatible material and seal it off from further bacteria. But sometimes, the tooth needs more support to be truly stable. We want to ensure that you get full function back from your tooth after a root canal. Moreover, we may use a dental crown to protect the tooth from further infection and ensure its stability.
Traditional dental bridges utilize the teeth on either side of the bridge as anchor teeth. But the stress of supporting the bridge takes its toll on these teeth. They wear down faster than normal teeth and are more susceptible to damage or decay.
Before using them as anchors, we often recommend placing a dental crown on these teeth. That way, the dental crown takes on the stress from the bridge and prevents damage to your natural teeth.
Lastly, dental crowns are the preferred choice to complete a dental implant. We custom-make each dental crown and ensure that they blend in perfectly with your smile. We match the shape, size, and shape of the rest of your teeth so that the crown looks natural.
Dental implants are the gold standard of tooth replacement. With a dental crown as the final restoration, they both look and feel the most like your natural teeth.
Dental Crown FAQs
Look for the answers to commonly asked questions about dental crowns below.
How long does it take a dental crown to settle?
As with any dental restoration, there’s an adjustment period. It’s a foreign object in your body, so it’s going to feel a bit odd. With dental crowns, it usually feels a bit bulkier than your natural teeth. Within about two weeks, you’ll adjust to your dental crown, and it’ll feel like a normal tooth.
How long after getting a crown can I eat?
You want to wait a short period of time after the crown procedure to eat. Don’t eat anything until about 30-45 minutes after the endodontist cements the crown in place. Avoid sticky and chewy foods for a few days after the procedure. This is so you don’t damage the restoration. You also want to avoid chewing in the area where the endodontist placed the crown for a few days as well.
Is a dental crown procedure painful?
Getting a crown should be virtually painless. We use a local anesthetic to numb the entire area around the tooth that’s getting the crown. You shouldn’t feel anything during the process. After the anesthetic wears off, you may experience a bit of sensitivity while you’re adjusting to the crown. If you’re experiencing extensive pain in the area where the crown is, this isn’t normal. Call us immediately.
Can my dental crown get a cavity?
The dental crown itself isn’t susceptible to tooth decay. But it’s important to remember that your natural tooth structure is still under the tooth. You can still get a cavity or an infection in that natural tooth. Stay diligent with brushing and flossing, and visit the dentist regularly. If you feel a throbbing pain in the crowned tooth, that’s a good sign that there’s a problem.
How do I take care of my dental crown?
Dedicate yourself to brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Your crown is very strong, but won’t be quite as strong as your natural teeth. If you eat too many hard foods or use dental care products that are abrasive, your crown won’t last as long as it could. We’ll give you guidelines so you know the best way to get a full life out of your crown.
Am I a good candidate for a dental crown?
Dental crowns are ideal to treat a variety of different problems. They can also salvage the natural tooth structure to prevent the negative consequences of losing an adult tooth. If you have a severely damaged or decayed tooth, we’ll employ conservative options like crowns for treatment. Almost anyone is eligible. If we determine the decay or damage is too severe, we may require tooth extraction.
Schedule An Exam With Your Dallas, TX Dentist
If you have any questions about the dental crown process, our team is happy to answer them. Schedule a dental exam today or contact our office at your earliest convenience.