Preparing and Caring for a Dental Crown

Teeth can be lost in a number of ways, including becoming badly decayed and falling out, being extracted by a dentist, or being knocked out from an injury.

In any of these cases, what’s left is a gap between your teeth that can make eating, drinking, and speaking more difficult.

Additionally, when a tooth is lost, the other teeth may shift position to close the gap, which can lead to a misshapen mouth or other issues.

While a space maintainer can be installed to prevent the other issues, most people prefer to resort to a dental bridge.

Preparing a Dental Bridge

Houston dentists will prepare your teeth to install a bridge so that the bridge is secure and comfortable within the mouth.

To prepare for the bridge, one or two teeth adjacent to the gap will need to be filed down in order to seat a dental crown.

The dental crown’s purpose is to serve as an anchor point for the bridge.

In between the two crowns (or next to the single crown for some) sits the pontic, or false tooth.

The pontic is usually fashioned from porcelain with a metal support structure. The support structure is laced through the pontic itself along with the crowns on the ends, forming a bridge structure.

After the teeth have been prepared, a mold is cast to get a scale replica of the inside of your mouth. This mold shows how the teeth fit together so a lab technician can fabricate the dental bridge.

Installing the Dental Bridge

After the first visit, the dental laboratory builds the dental bridge, carefully sizing and shaping it to match the patient’s mouth structure and layout.

Once the bridge is complete, the patient returns to the Houston dentist’s office to have the bridge installed.

The crowns will be placed atop the teeth adjacent to the gap while the pontic is suspended within the gap. The dentist will carefully mount them to ensure a snug, but comfortable fit.

If the bridge does not sit comfortably or securely, it may need to be remade, as poorly set dental implants can lead to complications such as infections.

After Mounting the Dental Bridge

Once the dental bridge has been securely placed, including any resetting, if necessary, the patient will be able to speak, drink, and eat normally. The false tooth will function just like its original counterpart.

Porcelain pontics are durable and look natural, but they are not impervious to damage. Taking care of your teeth with proper hygiene after getting a dental bridge will prolong the life of the bridge.

In most cases, dental bridges will last about 10 years, but with expert home care and regular checkups with your Houston dentist, they can last upwards of 15 years.

Should a dental bridge come loose or fall out, return to your dentist immediately. The exposed base of the teeth that were crowned are more susceptible to damage compared to whole teeth, and the gums need to be protected and clean to avoid infection.

The dentist will clean the area of your mouth the bridge was removed from and if necessary, have a new bridge constructed.

It is important not to hesitate having a loose bridge fixed by your dentist. Poorly fitted dental bridges can cause infections below the gums, which can lead to periodontal disease, including the advanced scenario that leads to bone infection.

Preparing and Installing Dental Crowns in Houston

Restoring damaged teeth can take many forms: fillings, replacing the tooth, or dental crowns.

Fillings are typically used when there is minimal damage to the tooth, or the concentration of damage is to the dental pulp inside (root canal).

Replacing the tooth entirely is commonly conducted when the tooth is knocked out and lost, or it has been damaged too severely by decay.

Somewhere in the middle of these two are dental crowns.

Dental crowns are often used when the upper portion of a tooth has been badly damaged by decay, but the rest of the tooth is still in good condition. The dental crowns are used in an effort to preserve as much of the original tooth as possible.

They are also used as anchor points for bridges.

Preparing a Crown

Getting a dental crown for a tooth typically takes two visits to your local Houston dentist. During the first visit, the teeth are cleaned and prepared for the eventual crown.

To prepare a tooth, it must be filed down to accommodate the crown sitting atop the tooth’s core.

The filing can be a lengthy process, depending on the type of tooth, the location of the tooth in the mouth, and the angle needed to access it.

Local anesthetics are used to reduce or eliminate any sensations felt during the filing process. Sedation dentistry may also be used to help the patient relax.

The tooth will be filed down on all sides, leaving a small nub that will hold the crown.

After the filing is complete, a mold is created of all the teeth in your mouth.

This mold helps the dental laboratory technicians see how all of your teeth fit together to create the proper size and shape crown.

Installing the Dental Crown

Once the tooth is prepared and the mold is taken, a temporary crown will be placed over the tooth to protect it. You won’t want to chew anything with this tooth right now.

After a few days, you’ll return to your Houston dentist and receive your newly furnished crown.

The dentist will carefully seat it atop your tooth, making sure it fits snugly, but not in such a way that it causes discomfort. The crown will be bonded to your tooth, making it permanent.

If adjustments need to be made, your dentist will have the lab remake the crown so that it fits perfectly, but in most cases, it will fit just right on the first installation.

Emergency Care

If a crown comes loose and falls out, that qualifies as an emergency dental situation. Finding a nearby dental office in Houston as quickly as possible will increase the chances of fixing the tooth without any additional work.

Centrally located dental offices, particularly in the Memorial Galleria area are easy to access and can provide emergency dental care should a dental crown fall out.

It’s also possible that a dental crown could crack. Metal crowns are very durable and should last quite a while, but crowns made from a composite resin or porcelain are more susceptible to breaking from strong bite forces.

It is recommended that you don’t install porcelain or composite crowns on your molars, as these teeth deal with the strongest bite forces. Metal dental crowns are best for the rear teeth.

Porcelain and composite resin crowns look more natural than metal ones, so they are best suited to the front teeth, as these teeth do not experience as high of a pressure.