Get an Expertly Made Dental Crown
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Dental crowns allow dentists to protect and restore damaged teeth. Typically, when tooth decay is severe enough that it can’t be treated with a filling, a dental crown will be used to cover, or cap, the tooth. Crowns are also commonly used to seal teeth that have been treated with root canal therapy. And occasionally, dental crowns are used for cosmetic purposes or in smile makeovers.
Lab-made crowns are manufactured by experienced technicians at dental labs that specialize in building dental prostheses. With impressions, scans, and photos of your teeth, these dental professionals can create durable prosthetics that that match your smile perfectly.
Because the dental crown is made by a dental technician who is experienced in prosthodontics, the fit of the crown is typically much more accurate than a same day milling machine. This leads to a more natural bite for the patient, resulting in greater all-around comfort.
To begin, your dentist will use a dental drill to remove decayed enamel and reshape your tooth in preparation for your crown placement.
Once your tooth has been prepared, your dentist will use dental putty and trays or a 3D scanner to take impressions or scans of your teeth, which will be used to build your permanent crown. Your Colorado Springs dentist will also take pictures of your teeth to ensure that your crown matches the color of your existing teeth.
Your dentist will send the impressions, scans, and images of your teeth to a dental lab where your crown will be built from durable porcelain ceramic. This process takes a few weeks, but your dentist will attach a temporary resin crown to protect your newly-trimmed tooth until your permanent crown can be placed.
You’ll come back for your fitting once your crown is ready. Your dentist will examine the crown to make sure it fits comfortably and make minor adjustments at this time.
Once the fit is right, your dentist will use a powerful dental cement to bond your crown into place permanently, restoring your smile and your bite.
To begin the process, your mouth will be cleaned and numbed, and you can also choose to be sedated if you would like. Then, Dr. Tuttle will remove any damaged enamel from your tooth, and scan it using a hand-held 3D CEREC scanner.
The scan from this device will then be uploaded into a computer, where your CEREC crown will be designed by Dr. Tuttle. Once the design has been finalized, a small piece of tooth-colored porcelain is loaded into a small automated milling machine in our office. This machine follows the design instructions to sculpt a porcelain crown out of the block in just a few minutes.
Finally, Dr. Tuttle will remove the dental crown from the CEREC machine, and make sure it fits your tooth. If the fit is perfect, it will be bonded into place permanently with dental cement, completing the procedure.
Although dental crowns are safe, effective and non-invasive, we recognize that some people may be nervous about getting a crown. That’s why we offer sedation options for patients receiving dental crowns. Our options included gas-based nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation and pill-based oral conscious sedation.
Each type of sedation has different advantages and drawbacks, and you will need to consult with our team to discuss your health history before being approved for sedation. Contact us today to get started, and ensure you stay comfortable while you get your dental crown in Colorado Springs.
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