How Crowns Can Help Restore Damaged Teeth

A damaged tooth can be restored with the help of a dental crown.

Good oral hygiene is imperative to maintaining healthy teeth and gums. However, sometimes accidents, decay, or infection happen which can cause damage or weakness to a tooth. If this is something that you’ve been dealing with, then it’s time to visit your New Haven, CT, dentist Dr. Francesco Maratta as soon as possible. A damaged tooth could mean that you need a dental crown.

What is a dental crown?

A dental crown is sometimes referred to as a cap because it goes over a tooth to prevent further damage and to restore its function. A crown is often made from porcelain and is designed to look just like a real tooth, so no one will be able to tell that you are wearing a dental crown.

How does a dental crown protect a damaged tooth?

There are several issues that can damage a tooth including decay, an infection, or a crack. These issues can make it hard to chew, causing more damage to the tooth. In order to preserve the rest of your natural tooth and restore full function back to your smile, your New Haven, CT, family dentist needs to apply a dental crown. These are some reasons a dental crown is used:

• Protect and restore a weak, chipped, cracked, or broken tooth
• Strengthen a tooth to prevent further damage
• Improve the shape, color, and appearance of a tooth
• Preserve a tooth after root canal therapy
• Cover a dental implant
• Secure a dental bridge in place

What should I expect when I get my dental crown?

If there is an infection, we will first perform a root canal to remove the infected parts of the tooth before putting on your dental crown. If there are signs of decay, we will also remove any cavities beforehand to ensure that the tooth doesn’t continue to worsen while under the crown. Our goal is to make sure that your natural tooth is as healthy as possible before putting on the crown so there are no complications.

We will also match the dental crown to the rest of your smile. However, because dental crowns take time to be fabricated you will most likely need to schedule two separate appointments. The first appointment will be to treat the infected or damaged tooth and take impressions, and the second visit will involve fitting and placing your new crown.

If you have questions about getting dental crowns or you simply need to schedule a cleaning with your New Haven, CT, family dentist, Dr. Maratta, all you have to do is call us at (203) 773-1701 to book your next checkup or consultation.