Crowns

Your oral health is of utmost importance to our team at Vanderhoof Dental in Vanderhoof, BC. Crowns are a great way to restore strength and durability to a weakened tooth.

There are several different types of crowns available. We will help you to select the best crown for your needs.

For more information about crowns see the information below; call us today at 250-564-8988 or fill out our online appointment request form to request an appointment!

How do you restore damaged teeth?

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, we may do it or 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 is a crown done?

To make room for the crown, we file down the tooth that needs to be restored and take an impression of the filed-down tooth and nearby teeth. This impression is used to custom make your final crown. Based on your impression, the crown is built using restorative material (material used for fillings). The final crown will be the right shape for your mouth.

We place 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.

We remove the temporary during your next visit and put your final crown in place. We double-check to ensure the crown is the right fit, shape, colour and bite. If it is, we cement the crown into place.

In specific circumstances, your tooth may require special care. You may need orthodontic treatment, gum treatment or root canal treatment. It may take more than two visits to complete your crown process, or your visits may last longer.

Once the final crown is cemented into place, it looks and works very much like a natural tooth.

What are the different types of crowns?

Crowns are made from various types of materials. Depending on which tooth needs a crown, we will suggest a material, or combination of materials, that is right for you.

What else should I know?

Crowns are strong and generally last for about 10 years or longer if you take good care of them. Brush and floss your crown, just like you clean your natural teeth. Crowns may not be as strong as your natural teeth. So, like your natural teeth, remember not to bite down on hard objects or use your teeth to open or cut things.