Temporary Crowns and Permanent Crowns
What is a dental crown?
Crowns are artificial teeth that provide a protective cover for both natural teeth and dental implants. According to the ADA, crowns are utilized also for discolored teeth, badly shaped or twisted teeth, and for teeth that have been weakened or damaged due to old or large fillings. Dentists recommend crowns when there is little or no tooth remaining, or use them to anchor bridges, which replace missing teeth.
Let us say that you are due to have a crown. Your dentist will have to order a permanent crown for you. You will need to wait for a couple of weeks or so before you get fitted with it. It will not be nice to look at if you have a space there or a tooth that has been worked on and exposed. So your dentist will make you a temporary crown to use in the interim. You can at least speak and eat confidently.
How is this done?
Your dentist will fit a temporary crown at the first of two appointments. During this visit, the dentist takes an x-ray of the concerned area and treats any decay. The defective, natural tooth is filed down over the sides and top to make room for the permanent crown to fit. An impression of the filed tooth – as well as those above and below it – is taken and sent to a dental laboratory for the creation. Temporary cement is used to fix these crowns so that they are easy to remove later. On your second and final visit to the clinic, when the permanent crown has arrived, the dentist removes the temporary crown and fits the permanent crown in its place.
Temporary and permanent crowns use different types of cement. The cement used for the former is meant only to last a few weeks, so it’s only made of metal or plastic that should be easy to break.
Permanent crowns last five to 15 years with good care, and can be made of high-grade porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold. Zinc oxide-eugenol cement is a common adhesive for temporary restorations. In contrast, glass ionomer and resin-modified glass ionomer cement are two tough, durable glues used to fix permanent crowns.
Temporary crowns are necessary for such procedures. Without them, even if for just a few weeks, natural teeth are exposed to decay and changes in position. Be sure to treat a temporary crown carefully while waiting for your permanent crown fitting.
SourceLearning More About Dental Crowns in Lynnwood
We can tell you more about crowns and other purposes they serve. Visit us at Song Dental in Lynnwood and have a consultation.
