Ask nearly any adult-or child, for that matter-and you will see that the vast majority of everyone who has ever been to a dentist has at least one dental crown. Kids are often proud of their shiny metal teeth; however, adults aren't typically quite so happy with the fact that they have a not-so-perfect tooth. In any case, though, a dental crown can work to protect damaged teeth and restore their functionality.
The Dental Crown Procedure
When a patient comes to the dentist with a cracked tooth or tooth with excessive decay, the dentist will need to prepare the tooth for a crown. He will clean the tooth and get it ready for the mold that is needed to make the dental crown.
The dentist will take a mold of the damaged tooth and then send the mold impression to a dental laboratory where the dental crown will be manufactured. The laboratory will be able to make a crown that fits to the exact specifications of the tooth.
In the meantime, the dentist will create a temporary crown to cover the damaged tooth. The temporary crown is only meant to be worn for a few weeks; it is not cemented to the tooth and is only used for a short-term protective measure.
New Dental Crown Technology
Computers have helped to create a new method of forming customized dental crowns. The recently-developed CAD/CAM technology-computer-aided design/manufacturing technology-works to create a 3-dimensional image of a patient's teeth. The computer image is then used to make a dental crown through the manipulation of a ceramic block.
Offices that have this technology use it at the patient's chairside. There is no need for temporary crowns or molds to be taken if CAD/CAM technology is used because the computer creates the dental crown instantly. It is actually quite a simple process. A material is sprayed on the damaged tooth; then, a tiny camera takes pictures of the tooth from all angles. Then, the CAD/CAM computer carves out the dental crown while the patient waits.
A dental crown done in this manner is quite quick-the entire process takes about two hours from start to finish, including the time that it takes for the dentist to put the crown into place. Dentists confirm that this dental crown procedure is just as accurate and reliable as the more complicated dental crown procedure.
Of course, not all dental offices offer this procedure; therefore, patients wanting quicker dental crowns may want to call around to find a dentist who provides this type of dental crown technology.
