Dental Crowns – Canton, GA

What is a Dental Crown?

Also known as a cap, a dental crown is a custom-made restoration designed to strengthen and repair a damaged tooth. It’s placed directly over the biting surface of your tooth, above the gumline. The high-quality restoration can be made from several different materials, including porcelain, gold, ceramic, and more.

Dental crowns are often recommended for patients with a tooth that is:

• Severely decayed
• Broken and needs to be held together
• Has just received root canal therapy
• Missing and can be replaced with a dental implant
• Extremely misshapen or discolored

The Process of Getting a Dental Crown

Getting a dental crown in Canton typically requires two appointments. However, the exact timeline can vary depending on the type of restoration you get. During your consultation, you’ll get the information you need to make the right decision for your smile.

At your first appointment, our team will numb the area we’re working on to ensure you’re completely comfortable. Then, we’ll prepare your tooth for crown placement by removing a thin layer of enamel. It’s a necessary step that’ll help the restoration fit properly on your tooth.

Impressions of your teeth will be taken and sent to a trusted dental laboratory for the creation of your final dental crown. In the meantime, you’ll receive a temporary one to protect your prepared tooth. Your permanent restoration should be ready in about two weeks.

Once we receive your dental crown, you’ll return to the office to have it placed. We’ll check for proper fit and make any necessary adjustments before cementing it into place. At the end of your visit, you can enjoy a healthy and natural-looking smile!

The Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown

By choosing to get a dental crown in Canton, you can enjoy several incredible benefits. Some of them include:

• Improved comfort and chewing ability
• Lower risk of oral health problems down the line
• Protection for your natural teeth to keep them from needing to be extracted
• Ability to last over 15 years with proper maintenance
• Fully customized restoration that blends seamlessly with your remaining teeth

Dental Crown FAQs

You may know the gist of what crowns do and how they’d help you. Namely, they protect teeth from harm and give them better looks! Even so, there’s a good chance you still have questions about them. That’s only natural, as you’d want the procedure to be cost-effective. Thankfully, we at Dentistry at Hickory Flat can help: Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about dental crowns in Canton. Read them to learn what to expect from treatment if you have a chance. Otherwise, though, do feel free to call our office for details or to book a visit!

Do Dental Crowns Feel Natural?

While you might have some mild discomfort post-treatment, dental crowns start to feel natural within a few days of placement.

You see, crowns use durable materials that withstand biting and chewing as well as tooth enamel. Therefore, eating with them won’t feel strange or off-putting. Plus, our team reshapes your tooth to ensure the prosthetic fits comfortably. A crown won’t irritate its surroundings either, given that it’s custom-made based on impressions of the treated tooth.

Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?

Crowns are artificial, so they’ll never get cavities themselves. However, the teeth underlying them can if you aren’t careful.

In truth, a crowned tooth has the same risk of decay as an uncrowned one. Without good oral hygiene, it might suffer from plaque and bacteria that form near its surrounding gum tissue. Harmful microbes could then travel beneath the crown and infect the underlying tooth.

Still, it’s entirely possible to prevent cavities in crowned teeth. You just need to brush and floss them daily, as well as visit our office for checkups.

Are Dental Crowns Permanent?

Dental crowns aren’t technically permanent, but they do last a long time. On average, they can protect a tooth for anywhere from 5 to 15 years

On the other hand, the crowning process is irreversible. It removes bits of your tooth enamel, which can’t grow back once it’s lost. That being the case, you need the crown to protect its tooth from further damage.

Of course, the treatment’s benefits outweigh this drawback. With a crown, your tooth will survive much longer than it would have otherwise. Furthermore, regular oral care and dental visits can keep the prosthetic in great shape.

How Do You Know When a Dental Crown Needs to Be Replaced?

The best way to know if a crown needs replacement is to get X-rays or a visual exam from our dentists. That said, you can also look for signs that the treatment is nearing its full lifespan. These can include:

• Instability – A good crown should always feel firm and secure. In contrast, you should contact us if it starts to come loose. At that point, it’ll likely fail soon
• Toothaches or Pain – Crowned or not, a pained tooth usually signals an underlying cavity. In that case, you’ll need to remove your crown to treat the decay beneath it. From there, we can check whether the crown can be reseated or needs replacement.
• A Noticeably Worn Appearance – Often enough, a chipped or discolored crown isn't as protective. Furthermore, it can lower a patient’s self-confidence. Such things are reason enough to replace it.