Dental Crowns
Dental crowns represent one of the most versatile and effective solutions in modern dentistry, offering a transformative approach to restoring damaged, weakened, or aesthetically compromised teeth. When tooth structure becomes insufficient due to decay, fractures, or extensive wear, dental crowns provide comprehensive protection while restoring both function and beauty to your smile.
At Imagine Dentistry in Charlotte, North Carolina, we provide personalized crown treatments designed to seamlessly integrate with your natural smile. Dr. Ann Blaine Coambs has over 20 years of experience and has received a Charlotte Magazine Top Dentists Award from 2016 to 2024. Our practice utilizes advanced dental technology and works with trusted dental lab partners to create custom crown solutions that help patients achieve confident, beautiful smiles. Whether you’re restoring a cracked tooth or enhancing the appearance of a misshapen tooth, dental crowns may be the perfect solution for a stronger, healthier smile.
Types of Crown Materials
Ceramic crowns have become increasingly popular due to their exceptional ability to mimic the natural translucency and color of tooth enamel. These restorations blend seamlessly with your existing teeth, making them an ideal choice for front teeth where aesthetics are paramount. Ceramic crowns offer excellent biocompatibility and resist staining, ensuring long-lasting beauty.
Porcelain crowns provide another excellent aesthetic option, particularly when crafted to match the unique characteristics of your natural teeth. Porcelain fused to metal crowns combine the strength of a metal substructure with the natural appearance of porcelain fused ceramic overlay, offering durability for back teeth while maintaining an attractive appearance.
Zirconia crowns represent the latest advancement in crown technology, offering exceptional strength and durability while maintaining excellent aesthetics. These crowns are particularly beneficial for patients who grind their teeth or require restorations on molars that experience significant chewing forces. Zirconia crowns resist chipping and provide long-lasting performance.
Metal crowns offer unparalleled durability and longevity, making them suitable for back teeth where aesthetics are less critical. Stainless steel crowns are often used as temporary crowns during the healing process or as interim solutions. It’s worth noting that metal crowns rarely chip, making them an excellent choice for patients who need maximum durability. Stainless steel provides excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance.
The Crown Placement Process
The dental crown procedure typically requires two appointments to ensure optimal fit and aesthetics. During your first visit, our team will carefully prepare your tooth by removing any damaged or decayed tooth structure. This preparation creates space for the crown while ensuring it sits properly at the gum line without irritating surrounding tissues.
We’ll take precise impressions using our state-of-the-art iTero Lumina scanner, eliminating the need for messy traditional impressions. These digital impressions are sent to our trusted dental lab, where skilled technicians craft your custom permanent crown to exact specifications. While your custom restoration is being created, we’ll place temporary crowns to protect your prepared tooth and maintain your smile’s appearance.
Temporary crowns serve as important placeholders, protecting the prepared tooth structure and maintaining proper spacing with opposing teeth. During this interim period, it’s important to avoid sticky or hard foods that could dislodge the temporary restoration.
Crown Applications and Benefits
Crowns serve multiple purposes beyond simply covering a damaged tooth. When a missing tooth requires replacement, crowns play a crucial role in dental bridge construction, anchoring the restoration to adjacent healthy teeth. This approach helps maintain proper spacing and prevents other teeth from shifting into the empty space.
For patients receiving dental implant restorations, crowns serve as the visible portion of the replacement tooth. Dental implant crowns are custom-designed to match your natural teeth perfectly, creating a seamless integration with your existing smile. The crown attaches securely to the implant post, providing a stable and permanent solution for tooth replacement.
Crowns also provide excellent protection for teeth that have undergone root canal treatment. When the entire tooth structure has been compromised by extensive decay or trauma, a crown restores full function while protecting the remaining tooth structure from further damage.
Caring for Your Crown Investment
One of the most appealing aspects of dental crowns is that they require no specialized maintenance beyond your regular oral hygiene routine. Brush and floss twice daily, just as you would with your natural teeth, paying particular attention to the gum line where the crown meets your tooth.
Regular dental visits every six months allow us to monitor your crown’s condition and ensure the surrounding tissues remain healthy. With proper care, crowns can provide decades of reliable service, protecting your investment in your oral health.
Restore Your Smile with Custom Crown Solutions
Dental crowns offer a proven solution for strengthening damaged teeth while enhancing your smile’s natural beauty. Whether you need to restore a cracked tooth, replace a large filling, or complete a dental implant restoration, custom crowns provide the durability and aesthetics you deserve.
Dr. Ann Coambs and her colleague Dr. Shelli Boucher, who has over 15 years of experience including extensive continuing education at The Dawson Academy, are committed to providing exceptional crown treatments using the latest technology and techniques. Contact us today at (704) 540-7600 or request an appointment to discover how dental crowns can transform your smile!
Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Crowns in Charlotte, NC
A weak tooth typically requires a crown when there isn’t enough healthy tooth structure remaining to support a traditional filling. If more than half of your tooth is damaged by decay or fracture, a tooth shaped cap provides better protection and longevity. Your dental professional will evaluate the extent of damage and recommend the most appropriate treatment. Crowns offer comprehensive coverage that strengthens the entire tooth structure, unlike fillings that only replace small portions of missing tooth material.
If you have a broken tooth before your scheduled crown appointment, contact your dental professional immediately for guidance. Avoid chewing on that side and rinse gently with warm salt water to keep the area clean. A dental cap may be needed urgently to protect the remaining tooth structure from further damage. Your dentist might place a temporary restoration to shield the broken tooth until your permanent new crown can be fabricated and placed properly.
A well-maintained new crown can last 15-30 years or longer, often outlasting normal teeth in terms of resistance to decay and fracture. However, the underlying tooth can still develop tooth decay around the crown margins if proper oral hygiene isn’t maintained. Restorative dentistry techniques have advanced significantly, making modern crowns incredibly durable. Regular dental checkups ensure your crown and surrounding normal teeth remain healthy, and any issues are addressed before they become serious problems.
Yes, tooth decay can develop under a crown if bacteria penetrate the seal between the dental cap and your natural tooth. This often occurs due to poor oral hygiene or when the crown becomes old and the cement weakens. Restorative dentistry can address this issue, but it typically requires removing the existing crown and treating the decay before placing a replacement. Your dental professional will monitor the margins of your crowns during regular examinations to detect any early signs of decay formation.
A loose crown typically results from cement failure, tooth decay underneath, or changes in the neighboring teeth that affect the fit. When a crown falls off, save it and contact your dental professional immediately for emergency treatment. The underlying tooth becomes vulnerable without its protective dental cap, especially if it’s been significantly reduced during the original preparation. Restorative dentistry can often recement the crown if both the crown and underlying tooth remain in good condition and undamaged.
Imagine Dentistry at the Arboretum
Dental Insurance
We accept most dental insurances, and we will always work to get the most out of your benefits. If it would help to break up the cost of your care into smaller monthly payments, we are prepared to discuss payment plan options with you. We offer an excellent Membership Plan with our office, as well as financing with Care Credit. If you are looking for a dentist in Charlotte, NC, our team will be delighted to assist you in scheduling an appointment today.
