Dental Crowns – Haverhill, MA
Beautifully Repair Weakened, Broken Teeth
Did you know that your enamel is the hardest material in your body, even harder than your bones? Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it’s indestructible. In fact, there are a variety of ways you may find yourself with a weakened or broken tooth. That’s why at Associates in Dental Health of Haverhill, we offer beautiful, durable, and custom-made dental crowns in Haverhill, MA. These reliable restorations are designed to seamlessly restore teeth and save them from extraction. If you have a damaged or unsightly tooth, don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule your next appointment!
Why Choose Associates in Dental Health of Haverhill For Dental Crowns?
- Safe, Biocompatible, and High-Quality Materials
- Collaborative Team of Experienced Dentists
- Advanced Technology for Precise Restorations
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is meant to fit over a problematic tooth. It encapsulates the entire visible surface, which allows it to redesign the tooth’s appearance while fortifying its structure. This versatile restoration is an excellent solution for:
- Teeth that have been weakened by decay or large fillings.
- Severely cracked, fractured, or damaged teeth.
- Teeth that are naturally misshapen or small.
- Worn-down or stubbornly stained teeth.
- Teeth that have just been repaired with a root canal.
- Replacing a missing tooth when paired with a dental implant.
With the help of state-of-the-art technology, we’ll carefully design your custom dental crown so that it looks just like a natural tooth. We use durable, lifelike, and 100% metal-free materials to mimic the appearance and color of the rest of your teeth. Once it’s placed, it will blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile.
What Is the Process of Getting a Dental Crown?
In most cases, restoring your smile with a dental crown only takes two appointments. First, to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible, we’ll use local anesthetic to numb the area. If you struggle with dental anxieties or have difficulty feeling comfortable in the dental chair, we will be happy to talk with you about oral conscious sedation that may make your visit more pleasant.
Once you’re comfortable, we’ll remove any decayed or damaged tissue and clean the area. Then, we’ll prepare the tooth, take digital impressions, and send the information off to a local dental lab. It will take a little while for your custom crown to be created, so we’ll fit you with a temporary restoration in the meantime. Before you know it, you’ll be returning to our dental office to have your beautiful permanent crown placed and enjoying your newly restored smile!
What Are the Benefits of Dental Crowns?
Unlike the rest of your body, your teeth can’t heal themselves. Leaving cracks or cavities untreated exposes your teeth to bacteria and further damage, which can lead to serious issues that can only be corrected via extraction. Thankfully, dental crowns offer a safe, aesthetically pleasing, and reliable way to protect your tooth and help it maintain its place in your smile. They’re also a great option for any cosmetic imperfections that are keeping you from showing off your pearly whites, like stains or oddly shaped teeth. With the proper care, you can easily expect your new dental crown to last a decade without worry.
Dental Crown FAQs
Does Dental Insurance Cover Crown Treatment?
Yes, most dental insurance policies provide somewhere between 50% and 80% coverage for dental crowns. However, it’s best to check the details of your plan to be sure. Don’t worry, as a dental insurance friendly office, we can help you navigate the terms of your benefits and make sure you save as much money as possible on dental care.
How Do You Know When a Dental Crown Needs to Be Replaced?
The only way to know for sure whether your dental crown in Haverhill needs to be replaced is to visit our office for an exam. Our experienced team will be able to tell if it’s nearing the end of its lifespan, or if it can last you for another few years.
That said, there are a few signs that can indicate it’s time to replace your dental crown. Here’s what you should watch out for:
- Pain (this can be a sign of cavities, in which case we’ll have to remove your crown in order to provide treatment)
- Looseness
- Visible chips, cracks, or other damage
- Difficulties while chewing
Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?
While the restoration itself can’t get cavities, the tooth underneath your crown can still become decayed if there’s too much harmful bacteria buildup in your mouth. Because of this, you’ll still have to brush and floss regularly! We recommend brushing your teeth at least twice per day with a soft-bristled toothbrush, and flossing once daily with traditional floss, a floss pick, or a water flosser.
Does It Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?
Most patients describe the dental crown process as being no more uncomfortable than getting a simple filling. We’ll numb your mouth with a local anesthetic before reshaping your tooth to prepare it for your new crown, and will ask whether you’d also like an anesthetic when it’s time to set your crown in place.
You may feel a bit sore after your treatment, but this discomfort can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. If the pain becomes severe or lasts longer than expected, call our office right away so we can check on the state of your tooth and crown.
Can Dental Crowns Be Whitened?
Unfortunately, dental crowns cannot be whitened using the same agents we would use to eliminate the stains on natural teeth. This is primarily because the agents are specifically formulated to slip through the pours in dental enamel so they can remove the pigments that have settled there. All-ceramic crowns like the ones we provide have a very different molecular structure, and the whitening agents can’t get past the surface in order to reach the stains.
What we can do is give your crown a good polish. Most often, that’s all that is needed to rejuvenate its pearly hue. If this doesn’t do the trick, we could simply replace your crown.