Dental Crown
Seattle, WA
 We kind of like the idea of a crown for people we love. When a member of our staff turned 50 recently, we celebrated her all day with a cake, a lot of balloons and flowers, and a crown for her head. Her crown had the number 50 in big letters. She wasn’t a fan of the numbers - but she did enjoy being special.
Did you know that there are other crowns that can be just as good - or even better - than a birthday crown? There are. These crowns can help us save your tooth. Not sure what we are talking about? Take a minute and let Queen Anne Family Dental tell you about crowns.
What Are Crowns?
Crowns are made of porcelain, which has been used for decades as a dental repair tool. Porcelain is often used in dental procedures because it looks like tooth enamel, is the same color, and is strong. Usually, we pair the porcelain with a metal cap to further strengthen your teeth. In the past, crowns were silver or gold, because people liked to use them to decorate their teeth. These days, people want their porcelain crowns to match their natural teeth. We use crowns for all kinds of tooth problems.
Why Do I Need A Crown?
Crowns are usually used to protect a tooth that has been broken, damaged, or cracked. As you get older, you are more likely to crack a tooth. This is especially true if you have had a filling. In the past, large fillings were common. Forty years ago, we thought that we not only had to take the cavity out, but we removed more of the tooth to make sure we got all of the cavity. If you bite down on something, and your tooth is already weak, it may break or crack. You can also get a cracked tooth from an injury, or from clenching and grinding your teeth.
The most common reason we have to crown a tooth is because of tooth decay. When bacteria drills a hole in your tooth, the infection can move into the pulp of your tooth. It can get into the nerve and cause pain. Eventually, you will need a root canal to fix your tooth. A root canal allows us to fight the infection in your tooth. We clean the infection out, and then we fill the tooth. In many cases, you will need to have a crown put on your tooth to keep it strong. We also offer crowns for kids who are experiencing tooth decay and cavities. Check out our dentistry for kids to learn more about our restorative services for children.
Many people worry about getting a crown on their teeth, but it doesn’t hurt to put a crown on. We sand your tooth a little bit, apply dental cement, and then we cement your new crown on top of your actual tooth. That’s all we have to do to make a crown permanent. While your crown will be pretty tough, it is not as tough as your natural tooth, so don’t bite down on ice, or open things with your crowned tooth. Do you need a crown? Give Queen Anne Family Dental a call at (206) 424-4450.
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