At the office of Steven C. Hewett, DDS in Champions Gate, FL, we specialize in reconstructive and implant dentistry and provide our patients with comprehensive dental care to ensure they can achieve and maintain optimal oral health. From dental crown treatments and implant dentistry to teeth whitening and more, we offer specialized services, including broken crown repair, to keep our patient’s teeth in optimal condition year-round.
What Happens If Your Dental Crown Breaks?
If your dental crown breaks, you’ll need to visit your dentist for a replacement. A broken crown immediately puts your tooth at risk of damage, which is why you must seek out professional care as soon as you notice the broken crown so you can avoid any other type of damage to the tooth below. Once the crown breaks, you can prevent the condition from worsening by avoiding chewing on that side of your mouth until it’s been replaced.
The Importance of Treating a Broken Crown
It’s important that you treat a broken crown as an emergency because if you leave it untreated, you’ll put yourself at risk for more severe dental issues. A broken crown will increase tooth sensitivity to hot and cold and can cause significant discomfort.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is like a protective covering for the tooth. It’s a cap that can be placed over a natural tooth or dental implant for protection. It’s also often placed over a tooth that has sustained a large cavity or after completing a root canal to protect the exposed tooth.
Dental crowns are made of different materials, but the most common is porcelain or ceramic, as these resemble the natural color of the tooth. Other material options include gold, nickel, palladium, and chromium.
What Causes a Crown To Break?
Crowns are meant to protect the teeth; while they are durable, they aren’t completely indestructible. Poor dental hygiene, normal wear and tear, an improper bite, tooth decay beneath the crown, and chewing on ice or eating very hard foods can all increase the risk of a crown sustaining a fracture of different severities.
What Happens During the Crown Implant Process?
Putting on a crown is a relatively simple process treatment. The first step typically begins with digital imaging of the mouth to create photos of the tooth so that the crown can be created. This step ensures a perfect fit when the crown is placed over your existing tooth. The crown will be bonded to your tooth, and then you’ll be provided with any aftercare instructions to ensure the best results.
What To Expect From Our Practice
When you choose the office of Steven C. Hewett, DDS, for your dental treatment, you can expect quality care from a team of dedicated professionals who aim to provide you with an exceptional experience. We provide all of our patients with quality care and can meet the needs of those who suffer from dental anxiety with safe anti-anxiety sedation.
Our practice is designed with our patients’ relaxation and comfort in mind, which is why we offer massage chairs, warm towels, relaxing music playing through headphones, and soft blankets, which are available with every treatment we offer. We also provide our patients with liaisons who can provide personalized assistance for each treatment. The liaison can help reserve any necessary travel, transportation, or hotel accommodations if you plan to visit our office from out of town.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Crown?
Dental crowns can meet the needs of patients with chipped or cracked teeth, patients who have experienced tooth decay, or those with misshaped teeth. They can also serve a protective purpose and prevent issues with weaker teeth. Patients with damaged teeth can benefit from a crown that will provide an aesthetic solution to restore a natural-looking tooth that will feel just like an original tooth.
How Should I Care for My New Crown?
A crown is meant to perform the same function as a healthy tooth, but if you’re concerned about keeping it in optimal condition, there are some steps you can take to avoid breaking it.
You’ll need to brush carefully, at least two times per day, and use toothpaste that is designed to promote optimal oral health. It’s also important that you floss daily and avoid extremely hard foods that could crack your crown. Since grinding can also cause fractures of a crown, it’s important that you take steps to prevent this from occurring, including looking into a night guard.
Scheduling Regular Dental Examinations
After receiving a dental crown, you must have it checked annually to ensure it’s in optimal condition. Cleanings and regular exams are important parts of aftercare as they allow the dentist to check the status of the crown, while X-rays can help ensure that the tooth below remains completely healthy.
How Long Will My Crown Last?
A dental crown can last 15 years or longer based on how it’s cared for and the material it’s made of. Once we determine which type of crown is right for you, we can give you more details about how long it should last and what you can do to extend its longevity.
Is the Treatment Process Painful?
We take every step to promote patient comfort during this treatment process. You’ll receive the necessary numbing solution to ensure the crown installation is completely comfortable and pain-free. We’ll also provide some specific aftercare instructions to ensure a quick recovery and minimal to no post-treatment pain.
We specialize in sedation dentistry, which helps alleviate dental anxiety without significant side effects and allows us to accomplish more work during each visit to reduce total treatment times. Sedation dentistry is completely safe, accelerates the treatment time, doesn’t require any needles, and won’t result in any pain.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Whether you need a crown to promote optimal oral health or you have one that has sustained a fracture, we can give you more details about your treatment options that can help you achieve and maintain optimal oral health. Contact us today at the office of Dr. Steven C. Hewitt, DDS, in Champions Gate, FL, to learn more about implant dentistry and schedule a consultation.
