Dental Crowns – Northampton, MA • East Longmeadow, MA
How We Save Damaged Teeth
If you have a tooth that has a large cavity, sizable crack, or looks out of proportion to the rest of your smile, all of these problems and more can be easily remedied with a custom-made dental crown. At EMA Dental, our restorations are specially designed for each patient to guarantee the perfect fit and appearance, and our high-quality materials can be trusted to stand the test of time. We can use our crowns to preserve even the most distressed teeth from extraction, saving patients a lot of time and money in the process. If you have a tooth in need of serious repair, contact us today.
Why Choose EMA Dental for Dental Crowns?
- 100% Custom-Made Restorations for Each Patient
- Crowns Designed Using the Latest Technology
- Affordable Payment Options with Insurance & Financing
What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is a long-lasting, natural-looking way to preserve a tooth. Our goal is always to provide you with the most beautiful smile possible. When a tooth cannot be restored with a filling, a crown is an excellent option. A lot of people have reservations about dental crowns, perhaps referring to a friend’s dental work where they can see a black line near the gums.
Years ago, dental materials were limited and often porcelain fused to a gold crown was the only option. Many breakthroughs in dental materials have occurred, and EMA Dental continues to stay up to date as our materials evolve. Now there are stunning all-ceramic crowns, no gold, and no black line. These crowns will look and feel like they have been in your mouth your entire life, and they will be absolutely undetectable.
What Does the Procedure Entail?
Preparing a tooth for a crown is a two-part procedure. Often, for one single tooth, the first appointment will require an hour. Your doctor will anesthetize the area and then remove any existing filling material or decay that may be present. Once the tooth is cleaned, your doctor will bond into place a core build-up. The build-up is a very hard, light-cured material that provides a solid substructure for the base of a crown. The entire periphery of the tooth and the core build-up is then prepared.
Typically, there will be three impressions taken throughout the hour-long procedure, and there will also be breaks in between for the patient. Once the preparation is finished, you will have a temporary crown placed. The temporary crown consists of an acrylic, plastic material and is very durable. The second appointment will be 3-4 weeks later, and for a single tooth, will require a half hour. Often, patients will not require anesthetic for this visit. The temporary crown is removed, and the new permanent crown will be placed and adjusted if necessary. You and your doctor will discuss aesthetics and the feel of the new crown, and if both are satisfied, the crown will be cemented with permanent cement.
What Are the Advantages of a Dental Crown?
First, a crown will restore function, strength, and health to a previously compromised tooth. A crown gives you the chance to save your underlying tooth structure when fracture or decay occurs. Your new crown should last anywhere between 7-10 years or longer; the life expectancy of a crown varies between individuals and is largely based on how people care for their mouth in general. Because a crown is all one material and made to be completely lifelike, a tooth’s aesthetics are always improved.
What Are the Disadvantages of a Dental Crown?
Preparing a tooth for a crown is considered an irreversible procedure, meaning that enamel is cut away in order to make room for a crown to cover over the existing tooth structure. There is usually minimal discomfort following a crown preparation, especially in the areas of the injection site and around the tissue of the tooth that has been worked on.
Who is a Candidate for this Service?
A clinical oral examination, dental radiographs, and a conversation with your doctor will determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. There are statistics that suggest 15 million people in the U.S. alone have had some type of crown or bridge replacement to save compromised teeth.
Additional Information
There is no recovery time after preparing a tooth for a crown. However, we do ask that you do not try to chew anything until your Novocain has completely worn off. There is a risk of tissue or tongue injury when you are still feeling the effects of anesthetic.
A crown procedure will require two trips to the dental office. The first appointment is usually the longer one and can vary depending on how many teeth are being prepared for treatment. After the appropriate consultation with your doctor, a treatment plan will be reviewed covering the cost of the procedure, and again, this can vary based on quantity and complexity of an individual patient’s needs.
You will have the opportunity to speak with an administrative insurance specialist regarding your specific coverage, however, this procedure is typically covered by most dental insurance plans.
Dental Crowns FAQs
How Do You Know When a Dental Crown Needs to Be Replaced?
The only way to know definitively that it’s time to replace your restoration is to talk to a specialist for crowns and to have x-rays taken. We’ll be able to determine whether there are issues going on beneath the surface that need to be addressed. For this reason, it’s important to see us for regular checkups so that we can check on the integrity of your restoration.
However, there are a few signs that you ought to see a dentist regarding your restoration. If you notice that your crown has a noticeably worse appearance than it did before, that it feels unstable, or that there’s noticeable pain on the tooth underneath it, it’s probably a good idea to talk to us. If you have a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown, you might also notice a dark line at the base of it at the end of its lifespan.
Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?
Dental crowns themselves are made from materials that are resistant to acid erosion, meaning that there’s little-to-no chance of them developing cavities or tooth decay. However, this is not the case for the tooth underneath the dental crown— in fact, it’s just as likely as any other tooth to decay, despite being protected.
Fortunately, it also isn’t hard to prevent these teeth from developing cavities. So long as you’re thorough with your brushing, flossing, and if you’re willing to see a specialist for crowns often for dental checkups, you’ll be able to easily keep your teeth healthy and free from cavities.
Do Dental Crowns Feel Natural?
We work incredibly hard to make meticulous models of your teeth, ensuring that the dental crown that you get fits the rest of your mouth perfectly. We also ensure that your restorations are made from the highest quality materials. This means that they’ll be able to stand up to substantial chewing force as well as looking incredibly realistic.
Of course, having anything new in your mouth will feel a little bit strange, and it’ll take some time to adjust. You might also feel a slight difference between it and other teeth when you run your tongue across it. However, your dental crown should still feel incredibly realistic once you’re used to having them around.
What Happens If You Wait Too Long to Get a Dental Crown?
As with any treatment, we’ll only recommend that you get a dental crown if it’s necessary for you. It can be tempting to delay getting your restoration, but this is generally a bad idea.
If you wait to get a dental crown that you really need, your tooth is going to be exposed to excessive chewing forces and additional bacteria that could potentially worsen the condition of your tooth. When you do get around to treating the tooth, you might need more intensive procedures than you would otherwise; what could have been addressed with a dental crown could need a root canal or an extraction.
In the interest of preserving as much of your teeth as possible, it’s a good idea to get the treatment from a specialist for crowns as soon as you possibly can.