Dental crowns cover the tooth to protect it after a root canal or when there’s some other type of damage. Dr. Gerald A. Cioffi at Gerald A. Cioffi DMD, PA in Orange Park, Florida, is a comprehensive dentist and oral medicine specialist who can customize dental crowns that both look and feel natural while they're protecting your teeth.
Crowns are a prosthetic type of dental device that covers the natural tooth. Crowns are custom made to match the natural tooth in shape and size so they look completely natural. A dental crown is affixed to the tooth using a strong bonding agent, making it a long-term solution.
There are many reasons that a dental crown may be needed. Crowns are designed to give extra strength to the natural tooth in cases where the tooth has been compromised in some way. One of the most common uses for crowns is after root canal treatment. Since this surgery extracts the infected tissue from the middle of the tooth, the outer part of the tooth is left in a more fragile state. The crown covers the remaining healthy tooth to give it full strength again.
Crowns can also be used to cover:
There are three types of crowns in use today. These include:
First, Dr. Cioffi makes sure that the tooth being treated and the surrounding area are clean and free of plaque and tartar. He then delivers numbing medicine to the treatment area so he can shape your tooth in preparation for the crown. This involves removing a tiny portion of the tooth's natural enamel.
After that, Dr. Cioffi three dimensionally scans the tooth and the surrounding teeth. Finally, a temporary crown is affixed to your tooth. You’ll wear that temporary crown for a couple of weeks while your custom crown is being made. When your custom crown is ready, you'll come back to Dr. Cioffi’s office to have it placed. Once placed, your new crown can last for decades.
