Do you feel as if it's time to do something about your smile? You may have been putting this off for months or even years, afraid of what is involved in turning around a long period of neglect. You may understand that several visits to the dentist will be called for as part of this cosmetic improvement and that you might need a crown or two, as part of the procedure. As this may be new to you, what's involved in the fitment of a new crown?
Initial Steps
Before the dentist can proceed, he or she will need to prepare the host tooth in order to accept the new top, or crown. The underlying tooth will need to be shaped properly and you may need some anesthetic locally while the dentist does this, using a specific type of tool. Usually, the dentist will taper off the tooth underneath and might add some filler material here or there, so everything is ready.
Good Impressions
Once the dentist is happy some impressions are made, to enable the lab technician to start making the crown. The dentist may spread the gums back a little using a special retraction cord so that a very precise impression can be achieved. A tray will be filled with putty and pressed onto the host area and its surrounding teeth. This will be left to set for a couple of minutes and then removed. The dentist will now have an accurate impression to send on to the lab. This process can take some time, so you will need to schedule another appointment to come back for fitment.
However, before you leave the dentist will place a special, temporary crown in the area to tide you over until you return. This special crown will be held in place by dental cement so that it won't fall out. However, this can be easily removed by the dentist next time.
Returning for the Real Thing
Finally, it's time for you to go back to the dentist for the proper crown to be fitted. After the temporary has been removed, the dentist will make sure that the new crown is perfectly positioned. As part of this process you will be asked to bite on the new crown a few times, so the dentist can observe the way that all of the teeth interact with each other. A few adjustments may be made until everything is perfect.
It's a Piece of Cake!
Once you and the dentist are happy, then permanent cement is used to seal the crown to the underlying tooth. You'll now be able to admire your new look and enjoy many years of use from your new tooth.
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