Dental Crowns – Cary, NC
Preserve a Damaged Tooth with a High-Quality Crown
One of the most common treatments that we provide are dental crowns in Cary, as they’re an excellent way to preserve and restore the health and comfort of damaged and compromised teeth. Dr. Koch is committed to using the highest quality materials that provide ideal, aesthetic outcomes, like dental porcelain, and his decades of experience ensures lasting results. If you have a damaged or previously treated tooth that is sensitive, or at-risk of extraction, schedule an appointment today.
Why Choose Darren G. Koch, D.D.S., P.A. for Dental Crowns?
- High-Quality, Natural-Looking Dental Porcelain
- Knowledgeable Dentist with 20+ Years of Experience
- In-House Membership Plan Available
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a custom-made cap that is placed over a tooth to restore its health, function, and appearance. Our practice typically crafts them from porcelain, which is a material that uniquely mimics the natural appearance of tooth enamel by reflecting light, offering seamless and lifelike results. We typically recommend dental crowns for patients who:
- Have had root canal treatment.
- Have a cracked, damaged, or fractured tooth.
- Have a tooth with a large filling in it.
- Have a misshapen or imperfect tooth.
Our team will inform you of all of your treatment options and will always encourage you to preserve your smile whenever possible, as tooth extractions can lead to the need for more costly treatments down the road.
The Process of Getting a Dental Crown
Getting a dental crown typically takes place over the course of two appointments to our office. After you consent to moving forward with the treatment, Dr. Koch will prepare your tooth by removing a small amount of enamel. This will help the dental crown lay flush with the surrounding teeth and ensure a perfect fit. Our team will then capture a digital impression of your tooth that we can send off to our dental laboratory to craft your crown. Before you leave, we’ll secure a temporary over your prepared tooth.
Once your permanent crown arrives at our office, we’ll call you back in to place it. We’ll remove the temporary and make sure that the permanent crown is a perfect fit and color match before cementing it onto your prepared tooth.
The Benefits of Dental Crowns
The benefits of dental crowns in Cary are numerous, which is why they’re such a common procedure! When you decide to restore the strength and improve the shape of your tooth, you’ll enjoy the following advantages:
- Custom-crafted crowns for optimal aesthetic and functional results.
- Can help preserve your tooth and prevent the need for a tooth extraction.
- Ability to last 15+ years with good dental hygiene practices.
- Protect your tooth from sensitivity and other unwanted side-effects of damage.
Dental Crown FAQs
Placing dental crowns is a routine procedure that dentists perform on a regular basis to restore the health of their patients’ smiles. Nevertheless, you may have one or two questions about the treatment. Check the FAQs below to see if your dental crown questions have already been addressed on this page. If not, don’t worry; you always have the option of speaking to our team if there’s anything you want to know regarding your care.
Are Dental Crowns Permanent?
You may have heard that getting dental crowns is an irreversible procedure. This is because the tooth receiving the crown needs to be slightly altered by having some enamel removed. Once the alterations have been made, you will need to always wear a crown in order to keep your tooth safe.
That being said, the actual crown will not last forever; at some point, it will be necessary to get a new one. Of course, you can extend the lifespan of your crown by practicing good oral hygiene, protecting it from damage by wearing a mouthguard, and visiting your dentist every six months for a checkup.
Does It Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?
When enamel is removed from your tooth to make room for your dental crown, a local anesthetic will be applied to keep the area numb. This helps prevent you from experiencing discomfort during the procedure. (You can also have your mouth numbed when receiving the actual crown, but this isn’t always necessary.)
It’s not unusual for your tooth to be more sensitive than normal after it has been prepared for a dental crown. Take an over-the-counter painkiller such as ibuprofen if you need to, and don’t hesitate to call us if you believe that the discomfort is growing more severe.
What Happens If You Wait Too Long to Get a Dental Crown?
Getting a dental crown is not a procedure that can be delayed indefinitely. Without a restoration to protect it, your tooth will be susceptible to harmful bacteria and could potentially become infected. Also, trying to chew with the tooth in question could make the damage worse. Having a crown placed as soon as possible is therefore generally the best option for both your tooth and your oral health.
Can I Claim a Dental Crown as an FSA or HSA Expense?
If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) or a health savings account (HSA), you may be able to use it to help pay for your dental crown. The one caveat to keep in mind is that FSAs and HSAs will only cover dental work that has been deemed medically necessary; they can’t help with crowns that are only being placed to improve the appearance of your smile.
Be sure to review the details of your FSA or HSA to confirm that it offers coverage for dental crowns. Don’t forget that with an FSA, there is typically a yearly limit on how much coverage is available.
