
Mar
In an ideal life, you would wish your teeth to remain healthy and beautiful forever. Unfortunately, life can throw curveballs at your smile. Cracks, decay, severe discoloration, and other dental anomalies can compromise your otherwise healthy teeth.
Luckily, you don’t have to live with a smile you don’t like. Dental crowns from Erik G. Grothouse, DDS in Indianapolis, Indiana, can help improve the appearance of your smile and the function of your teeth. But what are dental crowns? What should I expect from the procedure? If you would like to know more about dental crowns, keep scrolling.
Biologically, a dental crown is the visible white part (enamel) covering your teeth. When your natural dental crown loses its function and beauty, we can replace it with an artificial dental crown, sometimes called a “dental cap. “
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap worn over your tooth to enhance its shape, size, color, and function. A dental crown is similar to veneers, only that it has a metal substructure with porcelain fused to the outside that covers your entire tooth to reinstate its structural integrity.
Dental crowns can be made from numerous materials, including gold, stainless steel, and composite resin. Dr. Erik Grothouse prefers noble metal with porcelain fused to the outside for its lifelike appearance, durability, and biocompatibility.
Our dental team may recommend dental crowns to:
One of the top reasons many patients need a dental crown is when a cavity has eroded the tooth enamel by more than 50%. In such cases, a dental filling may not give your tooth the much-needed stability. A dental crown is resistant to fractures and seals your tooth better than a traditional dental filling.
A typical dental crown procedure requires at least two visits. During the initial visit, our dental team numbs the area with local anesthesia and removes a portion of your tooth to create space for a dental crown. Where your tooth is severely damaged, we rebuild its structure to provide better support for your crown.
Next, our dental team takes your bite impression to ensure we craft a dental crown that fits perfectly. Then, we send your mold to a dental lab to manufacture your crown. Since the fabrication may take a couple weeks, we install a temporary crown to ensure you can continue using your smile.
Once your permanent crown is ready, you will book an appointment with our dental team for installation. We will remove the temporary crown, clean your tooth, and place your new crown. Where necessary, we make a few adjustments to ensure your crown looks natural and fits perfectly.
Would you like to improve the appearance and function of your smile with natural-looking dental crowns in Indianapolis, IN? Please dial (317) 823-1780 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Erik Grothouse.
We offer affordable yet high-quality dental crowns to support the beauty and function of your smile for many years to come.