Dental crowns are one of the most widely used dental treatments because of the many applications they can have for both restoring and enhancing your smile. Dr. Welinsky places dental crowns in Towson, MD, for a wide range of reasons. He uses uses advanced digital technology to evaluate your needs and create a personalized treatment plan. Our office also provides comprehensive dental care to new and existing patients.
What Do Dental Crowns Do?
Dentists use crowns to restore teeth that suffer from damage or decay. There are several benefits of a dental crown. First, a crown restores the size, shape, and color of your natural tooth. Second, a crown covers the entire surface of the tooth, strengthening it and supporting long-term health and stability. A dental filling cannot accomplish this alone.
Dentists also use crowns for cosmetic concerns such as closing spaces between teeth and correcting minor rotations and the shape of the teeth.
Common uses for a dental crown:
- Strengthening teeth
- Restoring teeth to their natural shape and size
- Covering a dental implant
- Protecting a weak tooth from breaking or restoring a broken tooth
- Addressing discolored teeth
- Attaching bridges
- Holding a filling
- Enhancing appearance
Towson, MD, dentist Dr. Welinsky places custom dental crowns at Welinsky Dental Care. Visit us for comprehensive cosmetic and restorative dental services. Whatever your needs, we can design and place a custom dental crown that will match the color and shape of your natural teeth and blend effortlessly with your existing smile.
What are the Benefits of Dental Crowns?
We recommend dental crown treatment for patients to:
Protect Teeth
A dental crown often provides a more secure restoration than a regular filling, serving to prevent further fracture of the areas of the tooth weakened by decay, extensive fillings, or a cusp fracture. A dental crown is often essential to preserve a tooth following root canal treatment. It allows you to gain back the full integrity of your tooth.
Improve Tooth Shape and Shade
Crowns also have many cosmetic uses because they act as caps that cover the entire tooth. If you have a tooth that’s misshapen or has experienced a lot of wear, the crown can restore the tooth to its natural shape and size. Crowns are color-matched to the shade you desire, blending in with the rest of your smile. This makes them an ideal option for teeth that are discolored and resistant to typical whitening techniques.
Secure Restorations
Because of this, we use crowns to support a traditional dental bridge. Using your natural teeth as the anchor teeth can increase wear and tear on them, leading to more problems like tooth decay. A dental crown takes the stress off of your natural teeth.
Tooth crowns are the most common choice to top a dental implant to replace missing teeth. It allows the dental implant to be a complete, singular tooth. If you are missing multiple teeth, your dentist can also use several implants to secure a bridge or denture. However, a crown looks and feels the most natural to blend in with the rest of your smile.
Dental Crowns: What to Expect
The dental crown process is simple. We will administer a local anesthetic during the tooth preparation and crown placement portion of the treatment for your comfort.
It will require two visits to our office to place a crown:
Preparation
The first step is to prepare the tooth. We will remove damaged or decayed areas and shape the tooth so the crown will fit perfectly. We want to preserve as much of your healthy tooth structure as possible while creating the ideal foundation for your new crown.
Impressions and Temporary
After preparing the tooth, we’ll take precise impressions that capture every detail of your teeth. These impressions help the dental lab create your custom crown. Before you leave, we’ll place a temporary crown to protect your tooth while your permanent one is being made. This temporary crown lets you eat and smile normally while you wait.
Final Placement
About two weeks later, you’ll return for your second visit when your permanent crown is ready. Dr. Welinsky will remove the temporary crown and check the fit and color of your new crown. We’ll make necessary adjustments to ensure it feels comfortable and looks natural. Once everything is perfect, we’ll securely bond the crown to your tooth using special dental cement.
Dental Crown FAQs
Read answers to common questions about dental crowns in Towson, MD:
How do I care for my dental crown?
Taking care of your dental crown is simple and helps it last for many years.
Brush your crowned tooth just like your natural teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Be sure to clean gently where the crown meets your gumline. Floss daily, carefully sliding the floss down each side of the crown to remove plaque.
Avoid chewing extremely hard foods like ice or hard candy with your crown, which could damage it over time. If you grind your teeth at night, ask us about getting a nightguard to protect both your crown and natural teeth.
While crowns are strong, they still need regular checkups. Visit us every six months so we can check your crown’s fit and make sure everything looks healthy underneath.
Will dental insurance cover my dental crown?
If you have dental insurance, we will work with you to determine if you have any coverage for a dental crown. Many insurance plans will cover a portion of the total cost. We will provide your portion of the cost and can discuss payment options when necessary.
How long does a dental crown last?
Today’s dental crowns can contain superior ceramic materials that can last a lifetime with proper care and good oral health. There are factors affecting the lifetime of the crown including other dental concerns that include bite problems, the location of the crown, and lifestyle habits. We will monitor the condition of the crown during routine dental exams.
Schedule a Dental Care Exam Today
If you have damaged, discolored, or decayed teeth and would like to restore your smile with a dental crown, call Dr. Welinsky in our Towson dental office.
We welcome new patients from many communities in the greater Baltimore metro area and offer comprehensive care for children and adults. Contact us at (410) 692-8453. You can also request an appointment online.