How Dental Crowns Are Made
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Tooth Preparation
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A dental crown is used to cover or cap a tooth that has been damaged by injury or decay. Crowns are permanently set in the mouth using cement and can only be adjusted or removed by a dental professional.
Because every crown is unique, the process of making it starts with the dentist shaping and preparing your tooth. A crown needs to be thick enough to last but must still fit naturally between your existing teeth. To accomplish this, the damaged tooth is shaved down to form a thin vertical taper. The dentist must ensure the remaining tooth structure is tall enough to hold the crown in place. If it is too short, he will add a filler material to build the tooth to the correct height. After the tooth has been prepped, the dentist will take an impression of the tooth. The patient may be asked to bite down on a dental putty, or the dentist could use a ceramic milling machine to photograph the tooth in its current state.
Making the Crown
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There are two ways that a crown can be made. A putty impression can be sent to a laboratory, or a dentist can use an in-office milling machine to make a ceramic crown on the spot. Milling machines use a computer guided laser to cut a ceramic block into a crown. The computer uses photographs of your mouth to guide the laser and shape the crown.
The more common method of crown manufacturing is to send impressions to a dental lab. Technicians use these impressions to create a mold of the crown out of wax or metal. For gold or other metal fillings, a lost-wax method is used. With ceramic or porcelain crowns, the mold is made from metal based on the shape and size of your tooth. After the crown is complete, it is colored to match the shade of your teeth. This helps it to blend in better with your natural smile.
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Setting the Crown
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Once the crown is sent to your dentist, you will return for a final appointment to set the crown in place. The dentist will start by placing the crown over the prepared tooth to check for fit. He may ask you to bite down to ensure the crown is properly aligned, and may also use floss or dental tools to check the spacing between teeth. He will then remove the crown to file or shave it down as necessary until the perfect fit is achieved. Once the fit and comfort of the crown has been confirmed, the dentist will secure it using dental cement to complete the process.
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References
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