Dental crowns restore injured and defective teeth with amazing aesthetic and functional accuracy. In other words, your smile can look and behave really well after an accident, extensive decay, infection or other circumstances. At Harken Dental Excellence in Spokane Valley, WA, Dr. Bradley Harken uses dental crowns on many of his valued patients, and they love the results.
Dental crown particulars
A crown, or cap, is a tooth-shaped restoration customized from high-quality porcelain. A patient receives a dental crown to:
- Cover and protect a damaged tooth above the gum tissue
- Strengthen weak enamel
- Prevent a tooth from breaking (perhaps due to multiple fillings)
- Restore a tooth replacement called a dental implant
- Finish root canal treatment (which heals infection and spares a tooth from extraction)
Also, a patient may elect a crown procedure when a tooth is poorly shaped or colored, detracting from their overall smile aesthetics.
The treatment
At Harken Dental Excellence in Spokane Valley, Dr. Harken places many dental crowns. After careful examination and X-rays, he may recommend a crown as your best restorative choice.
After numbing your tooth, Dr. Harken removes worn, cracked, and chipped enamel and any fillings, shapes the tooth so it can accept the crown correctly, and protects the tooth with a temporary restoration. Also, he takes impressions of your tooth so the lab technician can sculpt your crown with the right size, shape, bite and color.
When you come back to the Spokane Valley office for crown installation, you'll have your new restoration within minutes. Dr. Harken removes the temporary crown, applies a permanent bonding agent and places the new crown over your tooth. With a few minor alterations for proper fit, you're ready to go.
Dental crowns last for years
Just be sure you brush twice a day and floss around your crown daily to remove plaque. Wear an acrylic bite guard if you're a teeth clencher as bruxism wears crown surfaces quickly, and be sensible about what you eat--no taffy, popcorn, candy apples and other super-hard or sticky foods. See Dr. Harken and your hygienist for an exam and cleaning semi-annually. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) says crowns are resilient, lasting a decade or more.
Learn more about crowns
At Harken Dental Excellence in Spokane Valley, Dr. Harken and his staff enjoy seeing their patients pleased with their renewed smiles. A dental crown could be your answer to a failing, unattractive tooth. So call us for a consultation: (509) 245-2323.