Preserve your natural smile with the help of a dental crown.
While no one wants to think about dealing with dental damage, it’s fairly common. Luckily, our Wichita, KS, family dentist, Dr. Lance Anderson, offers dental crowns to save your smile.
What are dental crowns?
Dental crowns are restorations that are shaped just like teeth and cover a damaged tooth to restore it back to its original condition. Dental crowns can be made from a variety of different materials, but porcelain crowns are the most popular as they are tooth-colored and look just like a real tooth.
How can dental crowns save a tooth?
A dental crown covers the entire tooth to protect it from further damage. When a tooth is severely damaged by decay, infection, or even direct trauma, the tooth becomes weaker. This leaves it prone to further damage unless something is done to preserve it. Once the infection or decay has been removed, we place a dental crown over the tooth to offer additional protection and strength while also making the tooth appear more attractive. In essence, a crown provides the tooth with armor to prevent further damage.
What is involved in getting a dental crown from my Wichita, KS, family dentist?
If you are dealing with severe decay or infection that has inflamed or infected the pulp of the tooth, we will first need to go in and perform a root canal. During the root canal, we will remove the damaged pulp and disinfect it before filling the inside of the tooth with a special rubbery material.
Once this is complete, we will take impressions of your tooth, which we will send to a lab to have your custom-made dental crown fabricated. While your new crown is being made, we will place a temporary crown over your tooth. Once your crown is complete, we will replace the temporary crown with your permanent one and cement it in place.
How long do dental crowns last?
The average lifespan of a dental crown is about 15 years. However, some crowns may last even longer by simply maintaining good oral hygiene and keeping up with routine dental visits.
Our Wichita, KS, dentist, Dr. Anderson, can provide quality dental care to you and your family. To schedule an appointment with our dental team, simply call us today at (316) 687-2104.