Dental Crowns
At Steve A. Sato, DDS, we’re pleased to offer our patients a variety of cosmetic dentistry treatments, including dental crowns. Whether you have a discolored or misshapen tooth, a dental crown might be the right solution to improve the look of your smile.
What Is a Dental Crown?
Also called a cap, a dental crown is a permanent dental appliance designed to fit over your natural tooth, like a cap.
What Are Dental Crowns Used For?
In cosmetic dentistry, dental crowns are used to improve the appearance of a person’s smile by completely covering one or more teeth. Crowns can be used to mask old, silver amalgam fillings, improve the shape of a tooth, or restore a broken tooth to its natural shape.
Dental crowns are also a treatment commonly used in restorative dentistry because they are a great way to protect, preserve, and support a natural tooth’s structure. For example, crowns can hold together a fractured tooth or restore a tooth following a root canal procedure.
What to Expect When You Get a Dental Crown
The entire process of preparing for and receiving a dental crown usually takes two or three dental appointments.
During your first appointment, Dr. Sato examines your teeth and talks with you about your goals.
Either during your first appointment or at a second appointment, Dr. Sato prepares your tooth to receive the crown. This entails shaving down the outer portion of the tooth so that the new crown will fit snuggly but comfortably over the tooth for a natural feel. We then scan your mouth to take a digital 3D impression that we use to design and manufacture a new crown. Before you go home, we fit you with a temporary cap to protect the tooth until your permanent crown is placed.
The final appointment will be scheduled once your dental crown is ready to be placed. At this appointment, Dr. Sato removes your temporary cap, cleans and dries the tooth, and then fixes the crown in place using permanent dental cement.
Digital 3D Scanning and Dental Crown Milling
Our dental practice is fully equipped with a digital 3D scanner to scan our patients’ teeth so that we can design and manufacture custom-fitting dental crowns.
This streamlines the crown design and creation process. Plus, digital scanning and design ensure a perfect fit every time!
Find Out If Dental Crowns Are Right for You
If you want to improve the look of your smile while helping to preserve your natural teeth, then dental crowns might be the perfect option for you! To learn more about all the benefits of dental crowns, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sato today.
