A Robina Dental crown is a type of restoration that restores a tooth’s shape, size, strength and appearance. They are often used to cover teeth that have been cracked, broken or worn down from age-related wear and tear or injury. They can also be used to protect a weak tooth from breaking or to keep a damaged tooth together after root canal treatment has been performed.
How does a dental crown work?
The process of restoring a tooth with a dental crown is a complex one, and it typically requires two visits to your dentist’s office. The first visit involves a thorough inspection and X-rays of your tooth’s surrounding structures and a pre-treatment procedure to prepare the tooth for the crown.
You’ll be given a local anesthetic to ensure your comfort during the procedure. Then, your dentist will reshape and file the tooth so it can accept the crown. The extent of this intervention depends on the type of crown you’re receiving, as all-metal crowns require a smaller amount of the tooth to be removed.
Your dentist will then make impressions of your tooth, which they’ll use to create a model for the crown. This helps them make a crown that’s the right color and shade to complement your other teeth in your smile.
Once the impressions are taken, your dentist will then send them to an off-site lab where a technician can fabricate the crown using a computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) method. The technician uses the CAD data to craft the crown so it’s perfectly shaped and fits snugly on your tooth.
After the dental crown is crafted, you’ll come back to your dentist’s office to have it cemented into place. This step can take a few days or weeks, depending on the type of crown you receive.
During this time, your tooth will be a little sore and sensitive. This is normal and should disappear within a few days.
In order to avoid discomfort, your dentist will also make you a temporary crown to wear until the final crown is ready. This is especially important if you have a tooth that has undergone a root canal treatment.
The temporary crown can be made out of stainless steel or acrylic resin, a metal-free alternative that matches the colour of your natural teeth. These are bonded to the tooth with a special adhesive, called temporary cement, which provides a weak bond and allows it to easily detach when your permanent crown arrives.
When you return for your second visit, your dentist will take off the temporary crown and replace it with the final crown. This will be a custom-made crown based on the information in your impressions and the results of your X-rays.
After the crown is in place, it’s essential to maintain good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. This can include brushing, flossing and scheduling routine exams and cleanings. You can also help prevent crown wear and damage by following your dentist’s advice about eating, drinking, and chewing properly.