Dental Crowns in Petaluma, CA

A dental crown is used when a tooth is broken or decayed to such an extent that fillings aren’t able to repair the problem.

The crown is able to provide a protective shell around the damaged or decayed tooth to strengthen it, as well as, to improve the appearance of the tooth.

Compared to fillings which just cover a small portion of a tooth, a crown (or cap) encases the entire visible portion of a tooth. In effect, the crown acts as the tooth’s new outer surface.

Reasons for crowns:

• To protect a weak tooth from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
• To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that is severely worn down
• To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left
• To hold a dental bridge in place
• To cover misshapen or severely discolored teeth
• To cover a dental implant
• To cover a root canal treated tooth
• To make a cosmetic modification

Different kinds of crowns

Crowns come in three materials; stainless steel, metal base, and porcelain. Stainless steel is used for temporary circumstances, primarily for children. Metal based crowns have been used for years, and over time, can develop a black gum line. Porcelain crowns have many distinct advantages. Not only do they look like your natural teeth, you no longer have to worry about that unsightly black gum line that comes with metal based crowns.

The technology behind porcelain crowns has advanced to the point that they are now almost as strong as your natural teeth, so you no longer have to sacrifice durability and structural integrity for the sake of looking natural. With porcelain crowns, your smile can be strong and beautiful – just the way a natural smile should be.

How It’s Done

The first visit involves reshaping the tooth and taking impressions to create the crown. Typically, a portion of you tooth will have to be removed for the crown to fit properly. After the dentist reshapes your tooth, a special material will be used to create an impression of it. This impression will be sent to a dental laboratory to be made into a permanent crown. Before sending you home, we will provide you with a temporary crown to cover your tooth in between visits. When you return, we will have received the permanent crown from the laboratory. We will remove the temporary crown and fit the new permanent one. Before cementing the permanent crown in place, we will ensure that it fits comfortably and matches the color of your teeth.