A Tooth Crown Can Help Fix It

You realize your tooth cracked or chipped and now you’re wondering how a dentist can fix it. While there are several dental treatments that can restore a chipped tooth, one of the most common restorative procedures for damaged teeth is a crown that will match the damaged tooth.tooth crown dental can fix a chip

What is a tooth crown and how does it work? A crown is a protective cap that is placed over the tooth, restoring it to its natural look and function. A crown acts as protection, ultimately preventing you from losing the damage tooth.

Teeth are naturally protected by enamel, the strongest tissue in the body. However, enamel can erode and crack for a number of reasons. Perhaps you tripped and fell, hitting your mouth on an object or the ground. Or had a blow to the face due to an altercation or some other type of accident. Maybe you were eating hard candy or tried to open a package with your teeth. (A big no, no!) Regardless of the cause, cracked teeth are aesthetically displeasing and can cause intense pain, especially when chewing.

If you have a chipped or broken tooth it is important to make an appointment right away with a dentist to determine the best option for restoring the tooth and making sure there is no other dental issues that must be addressed. While crowns are one of the top solutions, the dentist may also recommend other restorative procedures such as bonding, veneers and dental implants.

Reasons the dentist may recommend a tooth crown:

When you have a large cavity that must be filled and it has caused severe damage to the tooth, a crown may be necessary to restore and protect the tooth.

  • To protect a weak tooth from fracturing
  • To restore a tooth that is chipped, cracked or damaged
  • To cover a tooth after a root canal
  • To cover a dental implant

How is a CEREC Crown made? Technology

At Artistic Dental at the Biltmore we have invested in additional training and the CEREC technology and equipment that enables our office to provide patients with crowns on the day of an appointment. Made with a solid piece of ceramic and a 3-D image of the tooth and surrounding area, we use CAD/CAM dentistry (computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing) to make the crown during a single appointment. A traditional crown would typically take multiple appointments, as it requires the dentist to put in a temporary crown and take impressions for a permanent crown that must be sent to an off-site lab to be made. With CEREC, we are also able to color-match the crown so it blends in with the rest of your teeth.

Traditional crowns:

Other types of crowns are made of metal, porcelain fused to metal, all ceramic/porcelain and resin. The dentist will examine the damage to the tooth, and determine the best type of crown for the repair. For example, a chipped tooth
near the opening of the mouth would be capped with a porcelain crown because it is easy to color-match to the other teeth.

If you have a cracked, broken or chipped tooth immediately contact the office to schedule an appointment with Dr. John Dougherty or Dr. Prabhidi Adhikari. If it is urgent, we will get you in as quickly as possible.  You can contact us by phone at (602) 840-5400!