Enhance Your Smile & Oral Health
A damaged tooth is vulnerable to a variety of issues including pain and infection, which is why seeking treatment as soon as possible is crucial to preserving your oral health. At Gentle Family Dentistry, Dr. Garger offers dental crowns as a versatile way to repair your teeth and restore your smile.
What Are Crowns?
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped, cap-like restorations. They come in a variety of materials including:
- Gold
- Nickel
- Aluminum
- Chromium
- Feldspathic porcelain
- Pressed porcelain
- Zirconia
Crowns are typically reserved for patients whose tooth structure has been weakened or cracked. This restoration can help prevent the expansion of any existing cracks or the development of any new cracks in the tooth. Crowns can also be utilized as a component of other dental restorations including implants and bridges, and procedures such as root canal therapy.
Benefits of Crowns
By undergoing treatment with a dental crown, you can enjoy a vast array of oral health and aesthetic benefits, some of which include:
- Restorations that look & feel like your natural teeth
- Improvement in the appearance of your smile
- Durable and long-lasting restorations
- Restoration of a broken tooth’s form & function
- Stain-resistance
- Short treatment time
The Dental Crown Process
Step 1: Initial Consultation
Before you can receive your dental crowns, you’ll attend an initial consultation with Dr. Garger. During your consultation, Dr. Garger will thoroughly examine your mouth, review your medical history, and discuss your smile goals with you. The information Dr. Garger gathers will allow him to determine your eligibility for crowns. He’ll also discuss your other treatment options with you, so you can make an informed decision.
Step 2: Designing Your Crown
Once both you and Dr. Garger have decided to go forward with dental crown treatment, we’ll take pictures and impressions of your existing teeth. These will be sent to an offsite laboratory and serve as the blueprints for your custom-made crown.
Step 3: Preparation
To prepare your tooth for the crown, we’ll clean your mouth and the affected tooth. Next, we’ll apply a local anesthetic to the soft tissues around the tooth so you won’t feel any pain. Dr. Garger will then remove a small portion of your tooth’s enamel to make room for the crown.
Depending on your case, Dr. Garger may have you wear a temporary crown while your permanent crown is being crafted so you can get used to the look and feel of the restoration. Dr. Garger can make any necessary changes to the design of your permanent crown based on the feedback you give him about your temporary crown.
Step 4: Installing Your Permanent Crown
When your permanent crown is ready to be installed, we’ll remove any temporary crowns, clean your mouth, and apply the permanent crown to the proper tooth. Once your crown is installed, you’ll be free to leave our Bakersfield office and enjoy your new smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dental team at Gentle Family Dentistry does everything with your comfort and safety in mind. We’ll be certain to use an anesthetic and make sure it’s working before Dr. Garger begins the procedure.
Our Bakersfield office has the highest standards and quality control that must be met before we are willing to cement a crown on the tooth of our patients. However, the overall longevity of your crown will depend on multiple factors such as the material used, your post-procedure habits, and keeping up with your regular dental exams. Dr. Garger will discuss materials with you during your initial consultation and give you aftercare instructions to help you maintain your restoration and oral health.
The cost of your dental crown will depend on a number of factors such as the materials used, the amount placed, and your insurance coverage. We encourage you to call your dental insurance provider before your procedure and confirm with them what costs your plan will cover. Because we want all of our patients to enjoy the benefits of quality dental care, we also accept third-party financing through CareCredit.
Choose Dental Crowns For a Stronger, More Beautiful Smile
Your dental crown can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials to suit your unique dental health needs. Dr. Garger and his team look forward to the chance to change your smile for the better with these versatile restorations.
To learn more about how dental crowns can benefit your smile, contact our Bakersfield office at 661-664-9900. You can also request an appointment online and one of our friendly staff will get back to you shortly.