If your tooth is damaged but not lost, a crown can be used to restore its shape, appearance and function. You may need a crown if you have a root canal, a large filling in a tooth or a broken tooth.
A crown, also called a cap, is a hollow, artificial tooth used to cover a damaged or decayed tooth. The crown restores the tooth and protects it from further damage. Crowns can also be used to cover a discoloured or misshapen tooth. A tooth that has been fixed with a crown looks and works very much like a natural tooth.
Who does this procedure?
If you need to have a tooth crowned, Dr. Zhugang Zheng may do it, or he or she may refer you to a prosthodontist. A prosthodontist is a dentist who has completed a university post-graduate specialty program in prosthodontics. Prosthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that deals with restoring and replacing natural teeth and tissues with artificial substitutes.
How a crown is done?
Dr. Zhugang Zheng gives you a local anesthetic.
To make room for the crown, Dr. Zhugang Zheng files down the tooth that needs to be restored.
An impression of the filed-down tooth and nearby teeth is taken. This impression is used to custom make your final crown. The crown is built using restorative material (material used for fillings) based on the impression. The final crown will be the right shape for your mouth.
Until your final crown is ready, Dr. Zhugang Zheng places a temporary crown over the tooth that needs to be restored. The temporary crown is made from an impression of your tooth before it was filed down. It protects your tooth until the final crown is ready. A temporary crown may not have the same shape and colour as a final crown.
On your next visit, Dr. Zhugang Zheng takes off the temporary crown and puts on the final one. Dr. Zhugang Zheng checks to make sure the crown is the right fit, shape, colour and bite. If it is, your dentist cements the crown into place.
These are the steps dentists most often follow in making a crown, but your tooth may need special care. You may need orthodontic treatment, gum treatment or root canal treatment. It may take more than 2 visits to Dr. Zhugang Zheng, or your visits may last longer.
Call Dr. Zhugang Zheng Dental Office at (519) 680-1880 to book your appointment with Dr. Zhugang Zheng. We are conveniently located at 141 Wharncliffe Rd. in South London, ON.