Dental Crowns In Billerica

understanding the basics

What are dental crowns

Dental crowns are caps for damaged or vulnerable teeth. They may be placed to cover up chipped, cracked, or worn down enamel. Crowns have both restorative and cosmetic uses. Cosmetically, crowns can be used to cover up aesthetic issues like discoloration.

However, they are also placed after root canal treatment to offer durability and strength to a vulnerable tooth, which prevents it from becoming damaged or reinfected. They can be made from various materials like metals, zirconia, porcelain, ceramic, or a combination of these materials.

If you’re interested in dental crowns, contact us at North Billerica Smiles today to schedule a consultation.

understanding the uses

why do I need a dental crown?

There are many reasons you could need a dental crown, such as:

- To cover a tooth with a large filling
- To hold a dental bridge in place
- Repair a chipped or cracked tooth
- Cover up aesthetic imperfections
- Add additional strength to a damaged tooth
- Protect a rear molar from chewing forces after a root canal
- To serve as a tooth restoration on a dental implant

understanding the procedure

what is the crown placement process?

You’ll come in for a consultation at North Billerica Smiles and we will perform an oral exam. X-rays may also be necessary to ensure you don’t have any active tooth decay or gum disease that needs to be treated first. We will be able to determine if a dental crown is the best option for you.

Then, we will need to file down your tooth to create room for the crown to fit over your tooth. After we’ve prepared your tooth, we will take impressions and send these to a dental lab to create your crown. They will match your dental crown to your natural tooth in size, shape, and shade.

It can take a few weeks for your dental crown to be ready, so we will place a temporary crown to protect your tooth while you wait. At your next appointment, we’ll remove the temporary crown and bond the crown with dental cement.

getting the help you need

are dental crowns covered by insurance?

Dental crowns may be covered by your dental insurance, but they are typically only covered if they are medically necessary. If you are getting a dental crown purely for cosmetic reasons, insurance likely won’t cover it.

Most insurance policies cover 50% of restorative treatments like dental crowns. There also may be a waiting period of 1-2 years after you’ve started your policy. Contact your insurance provider to ask if there is a waiting period and if they will cover a dental crown procedure.

At North Billerica Smiles, we believe no one should face barriers to necessary medical and dental treatment. That’s why we offer special membership plans for patients who do not have insurance. This will save you money on dental costs.

Benefits of Dental Crowns

Dental crowns offer many functional, protective, and cosmetic benefits. Crowns are versatile because they can be fabricated from a range of materials depending on your needs. If you want to protect a severely damaged or weak tooth, you want strong and durable materials.

However, if you want a crown to cover up cosmetic imperfections with a tooth, then you want an aesthetic and natural-looking tooth-colored crown. Crowns are long-lasting, with lifespans ranging from 10 to 20 years.

Crowns can restore your ability to chew your favorite foods and prevent the need for extraction by protecting damaged teeth and holding broken teeth together. We tailor-make your dental crowns and customize them to your every need.

By taking accurate and precise impressions of your teeth and using shade guides, we can match your crown to the exact shade, shape, and size of your surrounding teeth. The procedure is minimally invasive, painless, and simple.

Does It Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?

No, the crown process is completely painless, as it’s done under a local anesthetic that eliminates pain sensation. If you have anxiety, special needs, or low pain tolerance, we also offer several forms of sedation.

A combination of anesthetic and sedation ensures that you are comfortable, relaxed, and pain-free during your procedure. While we do drill and shape your tooth to create more space for the crown, the most you will feel is some pressure or movement around the tooth during the procedure.

You shouldn’t feel any pain and we always make sure our patients are sufficiently numbed before starting the treatment. Once the anesthetic wears off a few hours after the appointment, you may feel some minor tenderness and sensitivity as a result of the drilling.

This is normal and should subside within a few days but you can take some anti-inflammatory pain medication for relief.

How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?

Dental crowns have varying lifespans depending on the material they’re made from, their location in the mouth, the health of the underlying tooth, and your lifestyle. If you don’t practice good oral hygiene and constantly introduce wear and stains to your crowns, they’re not going to last as long as they potentially could.

Let’s start with considering the material. Aesthetic crowns are made of more fragile materials, such as porcelain and ceramic. Their primary purpose is to cover up aesthetic imperfections and blend in with your natural teeth so that there aren’t any aesthetic issues in your front teeth when you smile.

However, these crowns tend to last for 5 to 15 years, as they’re not as durable. These are ideal for placement toward the front of the mouth. Metal and zirconia crowns, on the other hand, are much stronger and more durable.

These are more suitable for placement in the rear teeth which are used for chewing, as they last for up to 20 years. You should regularly brush and floss your teeth and crowns, attend dental cleanings, prevent wear and tear, and limit your exposure to stains.

what is a dental implant?

A dental implant includes two parts: an abutment and a restoration. Together, these two pieces create a permanent replacement tooth that looks and functions just like a natural one would.

how do dental implants work?

The first step of the dental implant process is a consultation at North Billerica Smiles. During your visit, we’ll assess your smile to see if you’re a good candidate for dental implants. If so, we’ll move onto the treatment planning phase.

One of our dentists will take x-rays and scans of your mouth, then use the detailed images of your teeth, gums, jawline, and surrounding bone structures to come up with a precise treatment plan. Once this is complete, you will come in for your oral surgery and your abutment will be placed in your gum. When this heals, this is the part of your implant that will function as an artificial tooth root.

3-6 Months after your abutment is places and your gums are fully healed, you’ll come back in for your final appointment. During your last visit, we’ll attach a dental crown or other restoration to the abutment, and this will create a replacement tooth that looks and feels natural. You’ll be able to chew, speak, and smile with ease - with no gaps in your teeth!

do dental implants hurt?

Since dental implants are an invasive oral surgery, you can expect to feel some pain. However, we use powerful numbing agents and anesthetics to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible during your procedure. What’s more, we also send you home with a prescription for medication that will help ease your pain, if necessary. We do everything in our power to provide a smooth, pain-free implant treatment.

how long do dental implants last?

With proper care and oral hygiene, your dental implant should last the rest of your life. We also offer maintenance appointments to help ensure that your implant stays in good shape throughout the years.

We Look Forward To Meeting You.

Please call 978.262.0023 or click below to set-up an appointment online.

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