Crowns-Cosmetic and Functional

When a tooth is fractured, has a large, old filling, or is severely damaged by decay, we will probably recommend a crown.

Crowns strengthen and protect the remaining tooth structure and can improve the appearance of your smile. Types of crowns include the all porcelain crown, the porcelain-fused-to-metal, and the all metal crown.

You might need a crown for many reasons, however the three following categories are usually what we base our recommendations on:

• To restore a tooth to its original shape.
   
• To strengthen a tooth. 
   
• To improve the cosmetic appearance of a tooth.

The purpose of a crown is to replace the outer layer of the tooth's surface. Crowns are often the optimal form of treatment when the tooth has been fractured, worn, or has areas of massive decay.

When a tooth is cracked, the crown adds strength to the remaining tooth structure. If the tooth is worn, there is a possibility that it may crack soon. For teeth with massive decay, there may not be enough healthy tooth structure left to be able to do a filling.

Crowns can also be used to cosmetically improve the look of a tooth. Teeth with large old fillings or deep stains that penetrate the enamel are an example of how a crown can improve the look of your smile. We can fabricate crowns in 26 different shades to match your surrounding teeth or give you a brighter smile!

Within in two appointments and two weeks,  we can have the crown procedure completed...

FIRST APPOINTMENT: At your first appointment, we will prep the tooth. We will remove part of the tooth's outside layer to accommodate the crown that we will cement onto it. After prepping the tooth, we will take an impression, or mold of the tooth and its surrounding teeth. From this impression, the lab will know the dimensions that the crown needs to be. After taking the impressions, which lasts a couple of minutes, we will place a temporary plastic crown into place.

SECOND APPOINTMENT: At your second appointment, we will remove the temporary crown and place the permanent crown into place.

The entire process from prep to cementation takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Click here to view before and after shots of our crown work.

If you have any questions regarding this cosmetic procedure, feel free to contact our office: 434-293-8944

Page last modified 7/25/2002
Jeffery E. Hodges, DDS
2250 Old Ivy Road Suite #3
Charlottesville, Va. 22903