A dental crown is a covering that fits over a tooth damaged from decay, trauma, or wear over time. A crown can come in many materials. Either metal, porcelain, resin, or ceramic. We also offer full gold crowns at our Edmond dental office.

Dr. Jamie Talley may recommend crowns to protect a weak tooth that is severely cracked or to cover a tooth that has received a root canal treatment as well.

Crowns are made with the grooves and cusps that normal teeth have so that they can function virtually as normal teeth.

Placing a crown is a fairly involved procedure that traditionally required more than one visit over the course of a week or two. With our in-house cerec machine at our Edmond dental office, we can make and fit your crown the same day. This saves time off work and is much faster than traditional methods.

First, the tooth receiving the crown is evaluated through an examination and x-rays. At that point, the Dr. Jamie Talley will determine whether a root canal procedure is necessary before proceeding with crown placement. If all is ready, the next step is to prepare the tooth by filing it down to make room for the crown. Then an impression of the filed down tooth and surrounding teeth will be made to send off to a dental lab for the perfect fitting of your crown.

For many crowns, this is done in-house the same day. For certain situations, the crown is made elsewhere and a temporary crown is placed until the permanent crown is completed and ready to be placed. During the permanent placing of the crown, patients are given a form of anesthesia to minimize discomfort. Then, the crown is cemented into its permanent place.

After having a dental crown placed, many patients report some soreness, swelling, and irritation in the affected area that lasts for just a few days, although it may last up to 2 weeks. Rinsing the mouth with salt water a few times daily will help with the healing process, and over-the-counter pain medications should be enough to manage the discomfort.

BRUSHING & EATING INSTRUCTIONS

It is important to continue good dental hygiene practices, including brushing and flossing, with a crowned tooth to protect the tooth under the crown. If your crown is made of porcelain, it is also important to stay away from chewing on hard things, like ice or popcorn hulls, to prevent cracking. If your crown has metal in it, you may see a dark line near your gumline. This is normal and is simply the metal portion showing through.

Although it is called a permanent crown, caring for it is important to make is last as long as possible. According to a 2021 Healthline article, with proper care and maintenance, your crown could last 15 years or longer.

https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/how-long-do-dental-implants-last#how-long-do-tooth-implants-last