What Is A Crown

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=128 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="041f0f21egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="042203c0.jpg" border=0 width="32" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#66334C" FACE="Arial" ><B>Meyer Dental Group, p.l.l.c. </B></FONT><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#66334C" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meyer Dental Group, p.l.l.c."><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>   </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#66334C" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B><A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Patient Information"><U><B>Patient Information</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How To Brush Your Teeth"><U><B>How To Brush Your Teeth</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How To Floss"><U><B>How To Floss</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Electric Toothbrushes"><U><B>Electric Toothbrushes</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Infants Home care"><U><B>Infants Home care</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sealants"><U><B>Sealants</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tooth Bleaching"><U><B>Tooth Bleaching</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Veneers"><U><B>Veneers</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TMJ Pain"><U><B>TMJ Pain</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Are Silver Fillings Safe?"><U><B>Are Silver Fillings Safe?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Periodontal Disease"><U><B>Periodontal Disease</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nitrous Oxide"><U><B>Nitrous Oxide</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Root Canals"><U><B>Root Canals</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Insurance"><U><B>Insurance</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bad Breath"><U><B>Bad Breath</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mouthguards"><U><B>Mouthguards</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>What Is A Crown</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Why Do I Need A Bridge"><U><B>Why Do I Need A Bridge</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=1 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="040f2f02egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=352 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043f0f03.jpg"> <div> <I>What Is A Crown</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="105a77d0.jpg" border=0 width="167" height="125" ALT="What A Tooth Is Made Of" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The tooth structure that you see when you look at a natural tooth is the enamel. Enamel covers the clinical crown of a tooth, which is the part of the tooth that is above the gum line. Sometimes, the clinical crown is weakened or damaged by decay, fractures or chips, large fillings or root canal therapy. Because of this damage, it may become necessary to restore your tooth with a crown (also called a cap). A crown covers and restores the clinical crown of a tooth to its original shape and function. Crowns may be made of; metal, porcelain bonded to a metal base, or porcelain only. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The procedure </B></div> <bR> <div> It typically requires two appointments to restore your tooth with a crown. That's because your crown will be custom crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth and match its color.  Some dentists advertise "One visit crowns."  These crowns are only the all porcelain variety and the esthetic result you obtain may not be as good as with a laboratory made crown.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="106a77d0.jpg" border=0 width="167" height="125" ALT="A Tooth That Has Been Carefully Prepaired" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the first thing we'll do is make sure the affected area is completely numb. Then we'll reduce and contour the tooth that is going to be restored. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> After we've prepared the tooth, we'll take an impression of your teeth. Sometimes, we'll place a piece of string, called retraction cord, between the tooth and your gums; this gently pushes your gums away from your tooth, helping us get a more accurate impression. The string is removed after the impression is taken. The impression creates an accurate working model of your mouth, including the prepared teeth. This helps us re-create your natural bite. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="107a77d0.jpg" border=0 width="167" height="125" ALT="A Crown Being Placed Over A Tooth" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">For the several weeks that it takes the dental lab to fabricate your crown, you'll have a temporary crown in your mouth. Then, at your next visit, we'll remove the temporary and you'll try in your new crown. We'll adjust the bite and make sure floss works smoothly. When everything looks good, we'll cement your new crown in place.</div> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Remember that the crown is covering the tooth.  Crowns themselves can not get cavities, however the roots of the teeth still can!   It is <U>very</U> important to keep all your teeth, but especially your crowns, clean.  Please see our <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How To Brush Your Teeth"><U><B>How To Brush</B></U></A> and <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How To Floss"><U><B>How To Floss</B></U></A> pages for more information on homecare of your teeth.  A well maintained crown can last a lifetime!</div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>