Advanced Cosmetic and General Dentistry Blog

A dental crown is a natural looking, tooth-shaped cover designed to strengthen a damaged or badly decayed tooth that cannot be restored with a filling. A crown may hold parts of a cracked tooth together. It protects the healthy remains of the tooth and provides new surfaces on all sides. Cosmetically, crowns are used to cover misshapen or badly discolored teeth.

Sometimes tooth decay can occur underneath a crown. There are several reasons why:
• Poor oral hygiene can allow bacteria to spread into the space between the crown and the tooth tissue
• An ill-fitting crown can leave too much space beneath itself
• An old crown can become entirely worn through and allow bacteria to penetrate it
• An old or poorly-done crown can become loose, leaving too much space for bacteria to enter

Poor oral hygiene can be easily remedied with regular brushing and careful flossing. But if the harm is already done, the crown may have flourishing bacteria beneath it and you may not discover that until you have a toothache. That pain is the tooth’s nerve being destroyed.

If nothing is done, the toothache will go away, but that means that the nerve is now dead, not that the decay has stopped. The crown will need to be removed, the tooth cleaned of all debris, bacterial excretions and decayed tissue, and a new crown placed. If the nerve (part of the tooth pulp inside the enamel shell) has died, a root canal may be necessary to fill that interior space.

At Smiles By Sands in Studio City, California, Dr. Jamie Sands and Dr. Jason Sands perform many crown replacements for patients seeking durability and beauty. Gold alloy crowns, and old crowns showing a dark line at the gums or causing bite problems can be replaced with a tooth-colored all-porcelain crown. At Smiles By Sands, we take your health and comfort seriously. We will match your tooth shade and fit your dental crown for a beautiful and seamless restoration.

Please contact our cosmetic dentistry office if you would like to arrange a personal consultation.

Typically a dental crown procedure can be completed in two visits. In the first visit your dentist will examine your entire mouth – teeth, gums, bite – and locate areas of decay. X-rays and digital photographs are used to diagnose and record an affected tooth’s condition. If decay is extensive and a crown is required, the dentist will go ahead with decay removal.

If a crown is being replaced, a broken tooth needs repair, or decay has destroyed a large part of the tooth, filling material may be used to build it up. An impression of the tooth is taken and a temporary crown fitted to cover it until your next visit.

The time between your first and second visits will vary according to how long the dental lab takes to create your crown. It will typically be between two and four weeks. The temporary crown will be removed and the new crown strongly bonded to the tooth. After testing your bite for comfort and health, we will polish the crown for a beautiful, natural-looking result.

At Smiles By Sands in Studio City, California, we prefer the porcelain “Lava™ crown”, an extremely high quality crown that promises incredible durability and perfect color shading. Not all cosmetic dentists offer Lava™ crowns, because superior skill and dexterity are required to create and place this beautiful restoration. Dr. Jamie Sands and Dr. Jason Sands have worked with many California residents to improve their health and enhance the appearance of their teeth using porcelain Lava crowns. They invite you to schedule a consultation.