Dental Crowns: Two Office Visits
When you find yourself in need of dental crowns, you will need to plan for at least two separate appointments, sometimes even three. While this may make it seem like a daunting task, saving a tooth and being content when you look at your smile in the mirror is well worth it. Communication between you and your dental office will be key as these procedures are scheduled.
First Appointment: Examination
Maybe you are having some tooth pain and you scheduled an appointment to see what is going on. Maybe you are just going in for a regular checkup and cleaning. Either way,
you find that you are going to need dental crowns. At first you may be a little discouraged, but remember that this is one of the best ways to not only save your own teeth, but prevent a removal that will leave an unsightly gap somewhere within your mouth. Here you will talk with your dentist about how the procedure will work and schedule the first appointment.
First Appointment
At this first appointment you are going to have the problem tooth drilled down to get rid of all the decay. This will take some time as your dentist wants to be able to salvage as much as possible. Once this is complete, it will be necessary to create temporary dental crowns. After taking a mold of this area, you will have something to fit over the tooth being worked on. Don’t panic when it first goes in and you notice that it isn’t a perfect fit. This is just a placeholder to cover and protect the area. The real dental crowns need to be sent out to a lab to be created.
This lab works to match not only the tooth that was being replaced in shape and size, but also in color. It takes time to get things just right. Each office will have a different timeline depending on which lab they work with and the materials being used. Before you leave this first appointment you should be given in approximate date to come back in so that you can schedule it before you walk out the door.
Second Appointment
At the second appointment the temporary cover is removed and the new dental crowns are put in place. For the most part, these will be permanent in that you will be able to eat, chew gum, and even partake in candy without fear of anything coming off. However, if a problem arises in the future, they can be removed to get to the root if necessary.
This appointment will be much shorter than the first. Once the crown is in place you are free to leave and carry on with your regular activities. Your dentist may want to keep an eye on things for a little while, so if you notice anything out of the ordinary, be sure to call in. Sensitivity comes with the territory and it may take a while to get rid of. Once again, just be aware that to some extent, this is normal. It the sensitivity persists, contact your dentist for another exam.
