A crown is a very useful restorative treatment we use to address a number of different issues with your smile. In fact, most people are unaware of the ways in which they can benefit from dental crowns. A dental crown, or cap, is a restoration that can be used for a number of purposes.
One of the most common uses of a dental crown is to restore a tooth that is significantly damaged or decayed. The crown is custom-made to fit over the entire tooth, starting at the gum line, in order to restore the tooth to its original shape and size. Dr. Kelly Halle-Brown can help your oral health and appearance with dental crown treatment in Quakertown, PA.
What Can Dental Crowns Do?
Your smile may benefit from a crown if a tooth is damaged or decayed to the point that a dental filling will not provide a successful restoration. Crowns can also be used for a number of other restorative and aesthetic purposes, including to:
- Protect a tooth following root canal treatment
- Anchor and attach a dental bridge
- Cover and complete a dental implant
- Enhance the beauty of your smile
- Improve a misshapen tooth
- Strengthen a tooth that is fractured or weak
- Support a large filling when little natural tooth structure remains
Dental crowns can be made of gold, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal; porcelain crowns are popular because they match the natural color and appearance of your teeth. Dr. Halle-Brown will help you determine which type of dental crown is right for your smile.
Using CAD/CAM for Dental Crowns
Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing are tools we use to create custom-made dental crowns in our office. During dental crown treatment, Dr. Halle-brown removes decayed or weakened material to prepare the teeth. Using intraoral cameras, Dr. Halle-Brown takes images of the teeth that require dental crowns.
The cameras are connected to the computer and create 3-D images of the smile. This is where computer-aided design comes into play. Dr. Halle-Brown can see a 3-D image of teeth that require treatment and can design the crown on the computer.
Then, Dr. Halle-Brown sends the crown design to a milling machine, which creates the crown from a porcelain block. Finally, Dr. Halle-Brown cements the crown to the prepared tooth. CAD/CAM technology allows Dr. Halle-Brown to provide her patients with convenient same-day dental crowns.
What are Inlays and Onlays?
Partial crowns, or inlays and onlays, cover different areas of the tooth. Inlays cover the chewing surface of teeth within the tooth sides or cusps, while onlays cover the top of the tooth, including the cusps. Like dental crowns, inlays and onlays are separate pieces that we cement to a tooth.
Contact Our Dental Office
Protect your smile with dental crowns. Schedule your next dental consultation with Dr. Halle-Brown online. You can also call Upper Bucks Dental Arts at (215) 876-0543. If you have any questions about dental crown treatment, please let Dr. Halle-Brown know, and she will be happy to help you.