Crowns & Bridges

WHAT EXACTLY IS A CROWN AND WHY WOULD ONE BE NEEDED?

A crown is a protective cap that goes over a tooth to help strengthen it. The natural tooth is trimmed down to a smaller version of itself to create room for the porcelain crown, which is fitted and bonded onto the tooth.

A tooth needs a crown when:

• There is a cavity that is too large to repair with a filling
• The tooth is cracked and it hurts to bite down
• The tooth has had a root canal, or
• An existing crown has a cavity underneath it and needs to be replaced

The process for making a crown is spread over two visits.

At the first appointment, this is what happens:

1. Numbing your tooth. Dr. Yaseen always starts with a topical gel on your gums to make the gums numb first so that the process of getting the anesthetic is more comfortable.
2. Making a stent of your natural tooth. Dr. Yaseen or Danielle will take a quick mold of your tooth before any work is done on. They will use this as a mold at the end of the procedure to make you a temporary crown that you will wear until the second appointment.
3. Removing the cavity with a dental drill. Once we are sure that you are numb, Dr. Yaseen gently drills away the parts of the tooth that are no longer healthy, and will shape the tooth to be a smaller version of itself. If the remaining tooth has an uneven shape, she will add some material to the tooth to smooth and round things out.
4. Taking an impression of the prepared tooth. This is the most important part of the whole process. It allows the lab to see what we have created, and to make a well-fitting, custom crown. Dr. Yaseen will first put a spacer between the tooth and gums to make sure the lab receives an impression that has crisp outlines that are easy for the lab to read. Then she and Danielle will take a mold of the tooth which will go the lab. At this point, a shade will also be selected for your crown, since everyone’s teeth are slightly different shades of white and it is important to us to create dental work that is natural looking and blends in with the surrounding teeth.
5. Making a temporary crown. Your tooth is now ready for the crown, but it will be 3 weeks or more before it is back from the lab. What do you do in the meantime to keep your tooth covered? Danielle will make you a temporary crown using the mold that was taken at the beginning of your visit. This temporary crown will be made out of acrylic, and held in place with a temporary glue so that it is easy to remove when it is time to insert your porcelain crown.

Your impressions will be sent to a very talented group of lab techs in California who will personally fabricate your crown to make sure it is of the highest quality. None of the lab work in our office is outsourced overseas. About 3 weeks later, you will return for a second appointment to have your porcelain crown inserted.

At this visit:

1. The temporary crown is removed. Any excess temporary glue is removed.
2. The porcelain crown is tried in. Any necessary modifications are made.
3. The porcelain crown is glued in with permanent glue. And you’re done! Anything you can do with a natural tooth, you can do to a crown. Crowns can still get cavities underneath them just like your natural teeth so it is important to brush and floss carefully around them.

DENTAL BRIDGES

Bridges are very similar to crowns. The entire process is essentially the same from start to finish, except that instead of one crown, it is 3 or more crowns connected together to fill in the space from missing teeth.

If the tooth to be replaced is a tooth that has been missing for a while, the process is the same as it is for a crown.

If it is a tooth that has just recently been extracted, the process is a little different. In cases like this, the impression is not taken at the same visit. 6-8 weeks are allowed to pass for the gums to fully heal before taking the impression. This allows for the contours of the crown that is filling in the space left behind by the missing tooth to be properly shaped to the newly healed gum tissue.

Taking this impression too early will cause the lab to have to guess where the gums will end up after healing, which can cause less than ideal contours and make it difficult to keep the area cleaned well.

If you think you may need a crown or a bridge, call us or schedule online for an evaluation.