So many options with dental crowns:
Rebuild, replace, and revamp your teeth in one treatment (and one visit!)
Are you embarrassed by your smile? We “get” it, empathize, we are a “judgment-free” zone and, most importantly, our team at Integrated Family Dentistry is here to help you! Led by a lifelong learner and dedicated dental authority, Dr. Mercedes Del Valle, our team loves giving patients in Eugene, Oregon, and beyond reason to smile. The dental crown procedure is among the many methods available to help you reclaim a proud and confident smile. We even offer a “twist” on the standard crown process: CEREC “one-visit” dentistry.
Crowns: The great multi-taskers of the dental world
Crowns may be used:
- In bridges, to replace teeth
- To hold together a broken tooth
- To strengthen a tooth that is weakened by wear and tear and other damage
- Following root canal therapy
- To repair a damaged or old filling or a big cavity
- For big cosmetic cases, such as to cover up a very irregularly shaped tooth
- For tooth replacement with an implant
You’ll notice that crowns can be used for many functional and cosmetic purposes. Today’s crowns are as strong and durable as they are beautiful. Numerous materials may be used to make this part of the tooth everyone sees. These materials include gold and base metal alloys such as nickel and chromium. Porcelain-fused-to-metal is another standard option.
But, since this part of the tooth is also so visible, a preferred option may be the “metal-free” crown. Ceramics such as porcelain and zirconia are appropriate for many types of patients, replicate the natural appearance of enamel, and are both highly stain-resistant and durable.
The beauty of CEREC
Traditionally, a crown required two dental visits. The first appointment involves taking an impression of the teeth. This impression or model would then be used to make the dental crown. The tooth or teeth to be crowned would also be prepared. Since an outside lab makes the crown, you must wear a temporary one to protect the prepared site. It usually takes a few weeks before the crown would be ready. In a return appointment, the permanent would be permanently cemented to the prepared tooth.
If the temporary breaks while waiting for the lab to make the crown, you would have to return for an additional visit to replace the temp. Another visit might also be required if the lab has to “re-do” the permanent crown.
With onsite CEREC software and equipment, Integrated Family Dentistry can make your crown “same day.” A digital impression of your teeth is rendered by Dr. Del Valle. This 3-D model is later transferred to our in-office milling machine, which shapes the crown in just minutes from a high-quality block of dental ceramic. As needed, adjustments are made before cementing the crown. No wait. No temporary. No hassle. Should you need a bridge, the crowns are simply fused to the replacement tooth (or teeth, as required). Then, the bridge is cemented to the neighboring teeth next to your gap. Once cemented, the replacement teeth fill the gap and are anchored by the neighboring crowned teeth. To learn more about the versatility of crowns and options to restore or beautify your smile, call our office in Eugene, OR, today. We can be reached at (541) 204-3939.
