Dental Crowns ; the myths and the facts by a City of London dentist
A dental crown is a `cap` that fits over a tooth, it’s called a crown because it fits like a hat says a City of London dentist. If you have a problem with a tooth that needs a crown, then it is most likely to be a cracked tooth. This can be the result of an eating accident or a fall, it may be that you need one to finish off a root canal treatment. This is where the entire inside of the tooth is drilled and scraped out, then it is treated with a light to kill off any bacteria. The hole is then filled with a hard material to strengthen it and a crown is placed over the top to protect and seal it in place. A cracked or chipped tooth will need to be fixed as soon as possible, or the result will be infections, a lacerated tongue or worse. Dental cement is used to wipe over the cleaned out crack, then a crown will be placed over the crack to seal it in. If the crack is on the front of the tooth, then the crown will sit on the entire front of the tooth. A new method of making crowns is now available at many dental surgeries, it allows the dentist to do the job in just one visit. It’s called the CEREC method and is a machine that works on a 3D program controlled by a computer. You will be able to see your new crown even before it is made. The dentist will take digital photos and scan them into the machine, this then works out the dimensions of the crown and recommends a blank for the job. This is loaded into a milling machine that sculptures the crown while the dentist prepares your tooth to accept it. Within around 30 minutes max, you could be having a crown fitted onto the treated cracked tooth.
