What You Need to Know about Crowns

A dental crown is used to protect and strengthen a tooth if it has become extremely weak, fractured or decayed. It covers your affected tooth and restores it to its original shape and size while reducing pain, saving your tooth from extraction and keeping your smile functional. At Hoye Dental, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your bite.

As we age, our teeth begin to weaken, making them more susceptible to problems, such as decay, cracks and discoloration. If a tooth reaches a point where the structure is compromised and in danger of breaking, crowns can be used to reinforce and protect it. When a crown is installed, the decay is removed from the tooth and a core build-up is used to insulate the nerve and create a surface to bond the crown to. Then an impression is taken of your tooth so that a crown can be custom made for your mouth out of gold or porcelain. This process can take two to three weeks. When completed, the crown is then cemented onto the current tooth.

Crowns are made of incredibly strong material in order to protect the remaining tooth structure, and the custom fit ensures that the seam between the tooth and crown is minute to protect from further decay.

If you’re experiencing decay and pain in one of your teeth, stop by one of our offices to see if a crown can save your bite. Call 508-823-1600 to schedule an appointment in Taunton, MA, and call 781-444-4647 to schedule an appointment in Needham, MA. For more information on our practice or Dr. Kathleen Hoye, visit www.HoyeDental.com.