Do you have a worn or broken tooth? Does your large dental filling need more support? Our dental crowns in in Nashville, TN can help. We provide porcelain ceramic crowns that fully cover and protect teeth.
Dental crown treatment is a part of the restorative dental services we offer. Our office works with dental laboratories certified by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry to create porcelain crowns that look as real as possible. Crowns can restore your smile and improve your bite for healthier jaw joints and muscles.
Dental Crown Treatment in Nashville, TN
To begin crown treatment, our dentist will numb your mouth so you do not feel any sensation during your care. Then, our dentist will trim a portion of the tooth enamel. Shaping the tooth will ensure a proper fit.
To plan dental crowns, we take dental X-rays and scans of the teeth to create a digital image of the smile. We send these scans to a dental lab that can create crowns custom-made for your teeth. Then, while the lab creates the crowns, we will apply temporary crowns.
When the final crowns are complete, we remove the temporary crowns and place the permanent crowns with special cement.
Adjusting to your new crowns may take some time, but they should look and feel natural to you in no time. You may experience pain or soreness after treatment.
We encourage you to take pain medications as prescribed. Additionally, avoid eating chewy, sticky, or hard foods. Stick to soft foods and reintroduce chewier or harder foods as you adjust to your crowns.
With the proper care, your crown can last 15 to 20 years. Follow our post-op instructions, brush, floss, and visit our office regularly to ensure your crown lasts.
The Benefits of Tooth Crowns
Getting dental crowns will give you many benefits, such as:
- Strengthen weak and damaged teeth
- Look and feel like natural teeth
- Can be color-matched to other teeth (if made from composite or porcelain)
- Offer a cost-effective dental restoration
Crowns can help patients with decayed, weak, fractured, or cracked teeth. Crowns can also cover dental implants and help patients with large dental fillings.
Dental crowns of the past used metal or gold materials. While these materials are strong, they don’t blend in with your teeth. We use tooth-colored crowns because they’re strong and look like real teeth.
What Can Dental Crowns Do?
Dental crowns are one of the most useful tools a dentist has in their arsenal. Not only can they treat many restorative dental problems, but they can take care of cosmetic ones as well. This makes them a popular restoration choice in our dental office.
Create Whiter Teeth
Professional teeth whitening can usually help if your teeth are stained. But if your teeth don’t respond to regular whitening treatments, a dental crown might do the trick. We’ll match the crown to your ideal shade of white and cover the whole tooth so you won’t see any discoloration.
Create a Balanced Bite
Misshapen and disfigured teeth can create both cosmetic and functional issues. Usually, patients aren’t happy with the way their teeth look. But teeth are essential to our mouth’s function. Depending on the location of the misshapen tooth, it can impact your speech and chewing ability.
Our tongue works with our teeth to make certain sounds when we talk. Each tooth has a task when digesting food. Dental crowns can improve how you chew and speak, and give back a normal look and function.
Provide Tooth Protection
One of the most common uses for crowns is to stabilize the tooth after a root canal. When we perform a root canal, we remove the infected dental pulp in the tooth’s center, then sanitize the area. Next we fill it with a biocompatible material to seal it from further infection.
But sometimes, this doesn’t restore full function. A dental crown keeps your tooth strong and guarded against bacteria and more infection after a root canal.
At our office, we practice conservative dentistry. Crowns are often the last line of defense before extracting a severely damaged or decayed tooth. A new crown can restore the tooth so you don’t have to lose it to extraction.
Support Implants and Bridges
When you get a dental bridge, it usually uses teeth on either side to support it. But this takes a toll on those teeth, wearing them down faster and making them more prone to tooth decay and damage.
We can place a dental crown over these teeth so that the crown takes on the pressure and wear, protecting your teeth. A custom dental crown is also the most-used choice to complete a dental implant because it looks and feels natural.
Dental Crown FAQs
Learn more about dental crown treatment in our Nashville office with answers to these commonly asked questions:
Do I Need a Crown After a Root Canal?
Some patients may need a crown after a root canal if they have highly worn or weakened tooth enamel. A dental crown can also cover a large dental filling. Large fillings can fracture a tooth.
Crowns can cover worn, broken, and weak teeth to create a more balanced and even bite. Crowns also strengthen teeth near the back of the mouth. These teeth are often under greater pressure than teeth in the front of the mouth.
What are Inlays and Onlays?
Known as partial crowns, inlays and onlays can cover the tooth’s chewing surface. Inlays cover the surface between the tooth cusps or sides. Onlays cover the cusps and the chewing surface. Both inlays and onlays are custom-made composite or metal restorations that a dentist can cement onto a prepared tooth.
How Do I Clean Dental Crowns?
You can brush and floss your crown just like you do your teeth. However, floss through your teeth to prevent crown damage, and do not pull the floss up.
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush gently. Avoid abrasive toothpaste because it can damage your crowns and other cosmetic restorations.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Dental Crown?
The process typically takes two visits. During your first appointment, we’ll prepare your tooth, take impressions, and place a temporary crown. We send the impressions to our local dental lab, where they will make your custom crown. This usually takes about 2–3 weeks. Once your permanent crown is ready, you’ll come back for a second visit to have it placed.
Can I Get a Crown in One Visit?
Yes! With advanced technology like CEREC, we can sometimes create and place crowns in just one visit. This is a great option if you’re looking for a faster solution. During your consultation, we’ll let you know if same-day crowns are a good fit for your needs.
Will My Dental Crown Look Natural?
Absolutely! Our porcelain crowns are custom-made to match the color, shape, and size of your real teeth. They will blend seamlessly with your smile, so no one will be able to tell you have a crown.
What Should I Do If My Temporary Crown Falls Off?
If your temporary crown comes loose or falls off, don’t panic. Just give us a call right away. We’ll schedule an appointment to reattach or replace it. In the meantime, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and keep the area clean. Don’t attempt to place the crown back on your tooth because it can cause more damage or pain.
Can I Whiten My Dental Crowns?
Traditional whitening treatments don’t work on crowns because porcelain and ceramic doesn’t stain. If you’re interested in a brighter smile, we recommend whitening your teeth first. Then, we can match your crown to your new whiter shade for a uniform look.
Restore Your Smile Today
Contact 615 Smile Design Studio for dental crown treatment in Nashville, TN, today at (615) 637-2878. You can also schedule a dental consultation with our team online. We serve patients from the surrounding areas, including Dickson, Walnut Hill, Eagle Ridge, and Summit Oaks.