Dental Crowns

Restore Your Smile and Function

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that your dentist places over a tooth to restore its size, shape, strength, and appearance. Think of it as a custom-made helmet for a damaged tooth. Once cemented into place, the crown fully encases the visible portion of your tooth, all the way down to the gum line.

When Do I Need a Crown?

At Lakeridge Dental Centre, we may recommend a dental crown for several reasons:

  • Protecting a Weak Tooth: To prevent a tooth that’s cracked or heavily filled from breaking, or to hold parts of a cracked tooth together.

  • Restoring a Broken Tooth: To restore a tooth that’s already broken or severely worn down.

  • Supporting a Large Filling: When there isn’t much tooth structure left to support a large filling.

  • Covering a Dental Implant: The crown serves as the actual tooth portion of an implant.

  • Covering a Tooth with Cosmetic Issues: To cover a severely misshapen or discolored tooth.

The Benefits of Choosing a Crown

Choosing to restore a tooth with a crown offers significant long-term advantages for your oral health and confidence:

  • Increased Strength: The crown reinforces the weakened tooth, allowing you to bite and chew normally without fear of fracture.
  • Improved Aesthetics: Crowns are custom-made to match the colour and shape of your natural teeth, creating a seamless, beautiful smile.
  • Long-Term Protection: A crown seals the underlying tooth, protecting it from decay and damage for many years.
  • Restored Function: It restores the proper structure to your bite, preventing problems with your jaw (TMJ) and surrounding teeth.

The Crown Fitting Process at Lakeridge Dental Centre

Receiving a new crown typically requires two appointments to ensure the perfect fit and beautiful result.

Appointment 1: Preparation and Temporary Crown

  1. Numbing the Area: We’ll start by administering a local anesthetic to ensure you are comfortable throughout the procedure.

  2. Tooth Preparation: The tooth receiving the crown is reshaped. This involves filing down the top and sides to make room for the crown to fit over it. The amount removed equals the thickness of the crown itself.

  3. Digital Scan: We take precise measurements of the prepared tooth and the surrounding teeth using a digital scanning wand (no goopy impression material!).

  4. Placing a Temporary Crown: To protect the prepared tooth and maintain your appearance while the permanent crown is being made (which usually takes 1 week), we will place a temporary crown.

Appointment 2: Final Placement

  1. Removal and Cleaning: We will gently remove the temporary crown and clean the prepared tooth.

  2. Trial Fitting: Your new custom-made crown is placed over the tooth. We carefully check the colour, shape, and fit, making sure your bite is perfect.

  3. Permanent Cementation: If you and your dentist are satisfied with the fit and appearance, the crown is permanently cemented onto your tooth.

With proper care, a dental crown can last for 10 to 15 years or even longer, offering a durable solution to maintain a healthy, functioning smile.