Teeth Crown, Tooth Crown

Springfield, Holyoke, Longmeadow, and Wilbraham, MA

How Dental Crowns Are Made

How your dental crowns are made depends on what kind of crowns you have. We offer three types of dental crown:

• All-porcelain crowns;
• Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns; and
• Gold alloy crowns.

Being of different dental materials, these crowns are made in different ways. However, regardless of which type of tooth crown you have, the preparation work is the same.

Preparing For Your Crown

Once you and your cosmetic dentist have determined that a dental crown is necessary, the first step is to clean the tooth very thoroughly. All bacteria, decay and debris are removed so that there will be a solid tooth remaining to hold the tooth crown.

We use a digital camera for some of our dental documentation and we will take photos of the cleaned tooth and surrounding area. Your X-rays will be taken earlier, during the diagnostic period of determining how healthy the tooth is and whether a tooth-colored filling might be enough to repair it.

We will send all your dental data to the lab where your tooth crown will be made. While it is being made, we will give you a temporary crown so that you can eat more normally. You will need to be a bit careful with it, as sticky foods could pull it off. The lab will take from one to three weeks to make your crown (depending on their work load) and you will be comfortable during this waiting period.

All-Porcelain Crowns

Dental porcelain is a glass-like material and is brittle by itself. However, once it is bonded to your tooth, it is very strong and durable. To give porcelain crowns additional strength, they have a lining, and an all-porcelain crown has a ceramic lining, typically made of zirconia.

This is a white-colored lining and has the excellent advantage of not creating any dark line after a few years. As we age and the gums recede a little, the crown’s lining becomes visible. But this ceramic lining is not visible as being any different from the crown’s exterior surface.

Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal Crowns

PFM Crowns have a metal lining for added strength. For many years they will look white and pearly like your natural teeth, but at some point a dark streak will develop at the gumline. The shrinking gum tissue exposes the edge of the lining and being metal, it looks dark. At this point, you can have the crown replaced if you wish.

Gold Alloy Crowns

Some people still prefer to have a gold crown, as they have a long track record of reliability and safety. The gold alloy is very visible as being a dental restoration, but on a back tooth this may not be so important. Our dental lab will make your gold crown to our specifications and it will serve you for a great many years, perhaps a lifetime.

Bonding Your Permanent Crown

Whether your dental crown is all-porcelain, PFM, or gold, you will have a second visit when your crown arrives here from the dental lab. Your dentist will remove the temporary crown and temporarily bond the new crown in position. He will test your bite and ask you if it feels comfortable. When you are both satisfied, he will bond it permanently to your tooth and it is now part of that tooth.

As part of our technology upgrade, Baystate Dental is planning to acquire CEREC technology in the near future. That is an in-office system for creating and milling porcelain restorations like dental crowns and porcelain veneers. We will not be using a dental lab then, but will make your crown here while you wait for a few minutes. That will make dental crowns a one-visit procedure.

Your crown will provide a new set of surfaces for your tooth and a renewed lifespan. You should give it the same daily care you give your natural teeth and come for your regular cleaning visits and checkups. With quality care, your crown will give you many years of excellent service.

To learn more about the teeth crown options available from modern cosmetic dentistry, please contact our office today. We will be happy to schedule a personal dental crown consultation for you in the office most convenient for you. Happily welcoming patients from Holyoke, Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and Springfield, MA.