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3 Basic Steps To Getting A Dental Crown

If you have never had a dental crown put in your mouth before, you likely have no idea what to expect. This can be scary because you will go into the dentist office feeling nervous and unprepared. However, dental crowns are very routine, and you really have no need to fear. The process won't take long, and if you are super nervous, most dentists will allow you to use nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" during the procedure. This article will discuss the 3 basic steps to getting a dental crown for your tooth. 

A Mold Of Your Tooth Is Taken

The crown has to match the tooth that it is going to replace perfectly, or else it will not fit correctly with your other teeth, and it may leave gaps and holes that can be uncomfortable and harmful. In order to get the crown to match the tooth perfectly, it is important that a proper mold of your tooth is taken. This is done by taking a mold of your entire upper or lower teeth (depending on where the tooth that needs the crown is), and then using the mold of the single tooth that needs the crown. Once this mold has been formed, a proper crown can then be created for you.

A Large Portion Of Your Tooth Is Removed

Before the crown can be put into place, the infected portion of your tooth must be removed. However, because the tissue close to the cavity can also be somewhat weak and damaged, more of the tooth is often removed as well. This creates a healthy structure for the crown to be cemented onto. Your gums and tooth nerves will be numbed for this part of the procedure, so you won't have to worry about feeling a thing. 

The Crown Is Put In Place

This crown can be made out of a variety of different materials, but the most common types of crowns are either made from metal, or ceramic, or both. These materials are great for recreating a tooth-like structure, which is exactly what you need to replace your tooth. The crown is put into place using a dental cement that will secure it to what is left of the original tooth. This cement not only cements the crown into place, but it also makes it so that food and other things in your mouth will not get trapped underneath the crown and cause you pain, discomfort, or even infection. 

To learn more, contact a company like South Shore Prosthodontics.