How Dental Crowns Can Help Your Smile

Is your tooth on the verge of failure? Then, protect it with a dental crown from Wilson Dental Care. Dr. Charlyn Wilson and Dr. Nishel Patel use crowns in their general dentistry Germantown practice in TN to improve the strength and appearance of damaged teeth. This porcelain restoration can help your smile.

What is a porcelain crown?

It's a customized dental restoration made of high-grade, tooth-colored ceramic. Fabricated according to your unique oral impressions, a tooth-shaped crown covers the remaining healthy tooth structure right to the gum line.

A dental crown is a wonderful alternative to extracting a tooth harmed by:

• Insufficient strength, size, and shape
• Dark stains
• Cracks and chips from traumatic injury or simple wear and tear
• Infection
• Deep decay
• Tooth structure weakened by multiple restorative procedures

Also, crowns finish dental implants and root canal procedures. They anchor fixed bridges composed of one or more artificial teeth.

Can a crown help you?

You may qualify if Dr. Wilson or Dr. Patel feels you have enough healthy tooth structure above and below the gum line to accept a crown. When you come to your general dentistry Germantown TN practice, your general dentist will examine your tooth and X-ray it to determine its viability. If all is OK, she'll numb the tooth with a local anesthetic, take an impression and remove the damaged enamel.

You'll wear a provisional restoration until you receive your new crown at your next office visit. Your dentist uses a strong cement to bond the crown over the tooth. She makes sure it fits and bites properly too. That's all it takes to receive your crown.

Caring for your realistic crown

Today's medical-grade porcelain is exceptionally durable and lifelike in appearance. If you care for your crown properly, it should last a decade, says the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Here's how to do that:

1. Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
2. Floss around your crown every day to remove plaque.
3. Don't eat hard foods, such as taffy, or open packages with your teeth. You could damage or displace your crown.
4. See Dr. Wilson or Dr. Patel twice yearly for a cleaning and check-up. She'll look at that crown to ensure all is well.
5. Ask your dentist about a bite guard if you have awake or sleep bruxism, an unconscious, and damaging, habit of teeth clenching or grinding.

Strong and beautiful

That's your smile with a dental crown from Dr. Charlyn Wilson or Dr. Nishel Patel at Wilson Dental Care in Germantown TN. Their general dentistry services are the finest in the area. Please call a friendly staff member for more information on porcelain crowns: (901) 751-1100.