Are you considering having your damaged tooth covered with a crown in Delta, BC? Then you may want to understand the procedures involved. Knowing what to expect will help you prepare mentally as well as choose the best way to have it done. Dental crowns go over your damaged teeth or dental implants and provide a permanent solution to improve your oral health.

Many people mistake dental implants for crowns. While the two are closely related, there’s a distinct difference between them. A dental implant goes down through the gum and serves the same purpose as that of a tooth’s root. It provides support onto which a crown can be placed. In the absence of an implant, a crown wouldn’t hold, unless there was a natural tooth to be shaped to offer support.

There are two ways to install dental crowns; the one visit and the two visit procedures. Each way has its advantages and drawbacks, and your dentist will advise you on what method suits your situation.

The Procedures Dentists Use to Install Dental Crowns in Delta

The One Visit Procedure

Some dentists will install a crown on the same day of your appointment. This procedure involves the use of computer-aided crown design and manufacture, commonly known as CAD and CAM. The process only takes one hour or so, and consists of the following steps.

• The shaping of the tooth to the required size
• Taking a digital impression of the tooth
• Using computer software to design the crown
• Grinding a ceramic block to the designed shape
• Refining the crown’s shape
• Cementing it onto your tooth

The Two Visit Procedure

This involves two appointments with the dentist. During the first visit, the dentist will;

• Shape down the tooth’s size so it can hold the crown, or if it’s badly damaged, filling to attain the required size and shape
• Take an impression of the affected tooth, the surrounding jaw and adjacent teeth, usually by use of putty-like stuff
• Create a temporary crown from the impression
• Fix it onto your shaped tooth

Once the first phase of this procedure is over, you will go home and wait for the dentist to get a permanent crown fabricated. The time for the wait can be a week or so. During the second visit to the dental clinic, this is what happens. The dentist will:

• Remove the temporary crown and the cement that attached it
• Place the permanent crown that was prepared from the impressions taken earlier
• Check to ensure proper fit and appropriate appearance
• Make the necessary modifications to the crown
• Coat the crown’s inside with a special type of adhesive
• Place it on your shaped tooth and allow the adhesive to set

There are many dentists who install crowns in Delta, BC. For better results, ensure the one you choose has enough experience in the field. Ask them any questions you might have concerning the different procedures and the benefits of each. With adequate information, you will be better prepared for the process.