Discover The Benefits Of Dental Crowns

Damaged teeth are embarrassing, but modern dentistry has state of the art technology to help you deal with this issue. Dr. Leslie Bonner offers his patients dental crowns at his Washington, DC, office to mask those unsightly teeth so you have a beautiful smile.

What are dental crowns?

Crowns look like caps and are made of porcelain. Your Washington, DC, dentist takes an impression of your teeth and sends them to a lab where custom crowns are made just for you. In the meantime though, you're given a temporary crown.

So why get a dental crown anyway?

During restorative procedures, such as root canals, a significant amount of natural tooth is removed. This leaves the tooth exposed to decay and susceptible to breakage, which is why a dental crown is placed over the tooth. The dental crown reinforces the tooth and allows it to withstand various degrees of pressure, meaning you can enjoy eating without the worry of ruining your tooth.

Here are some other procedures that use dental crowns:

• Attaching bridges
• Covering dental implants
• Covering stained or discolored teeth

How do I take care of my crowns?

• It goes without saying that you need to brush twice a day and floss before bed. However, make sure to give special attention to the area around your dental crown. It's important to avoid plaque to reduce the chances of cavities forming and impacting the dental restoration.
• In addition to brushing and flossing, your diet can contribute to your crowns lasting up to 8 years, or more. Don't bite into ice and avoid sugary foods like soda and candy. Sugars contain the bacteria that produce plaque. So try eating healthy foods like apples and carrots that scrape the plaque off your teeth and incorporate more water into your diet.

For more information on dental crowns and what they can do for you, contact your dentist, Dr. Leslie Bonner in Washington, DC, as soon as possible.