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If you have a tooth that is too damaged to be treated with a traditional cosmetic dentistry treatment like veneers, a cosmetic crown from Dr. Hang Pham at All Day Smile may be just what you need. With our tooth-colored cosmetic crowns, we can perfect your smile, restore your bite, and ensure that your teeth look and feel completely natural.
At All Day Smile, Dr. Hang Pham has invested in the latest advanced technology to provide you with better care in Fullerton. Our CEREC (CERamic REconstruction) machine empowers us to provide you with same-day crowns to restore your smile.
CEREC uses an advanced milling machine and a 3D scanner to immediately build tooth-shaped crowns that look and feel completely natural. With our CEREC technology, you can restore your smile in just one appointment, rather than several appointments over a period of 1-2 weeks or longer.
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Understanding the Basics
What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is a false tooth that fits over your existing tooth structure, covering it up and replacing it all the way down to the gum line. The natural tooth enamel is trimmed and then a crown is built that looks and feels just like a natural tooth. The crown is bonded in place permanently, protecting your tooth and restoring your smile.
Dental crowns are a great way to restore teeth that have serious stains and other cosmetic issues. They are also a great restorative treatment option for damaged and decayed teeth. They require no special care, can easily last 15+ years with proper oral hygiene, and are very versatile, making them the best option for many common cosmetic and restorative dental issues.
Common Reasons for a Crown
Why Do I Need a Dental Crown?
Cosmetic crowns are typically only used when an alternative cosmetic dentistry treatment, such as a porcelain veneer or dental bonding, is not appropriate for restoring your tooth. For example, if a tooth is very misshapen or stained, it may be a better option to use a crown, compared to other cosmetic treatments.
Dental crowns are also required to treat damaged teeth. Teeth with serious cavities or that have been broken or cracked by dental trauma are usually treated with crowns. A crown can restore the natural shape and appearance of the tooth, and protect the underlying enamel from any further damage. Crowns are also often used to restore teeth after treatment with root canal therapy.
Know What to Expect
The Dental Crown Placement Process
It takes two appointments to have a dental crown placed at All Day Smile. At your first appointment, your tooth will be prepared for the crown. Dr. Hang Pham will begin by cleaning your teeth and numbing the treatment area. Once your mouth is numb, she will use a dental drill to gently remove any decayed or damaged enamel from the tooth, and shape into a stable platform, onto which the crown can be attached.
When the tooth has been prepared, Dr. Hang Pham will use dental putty to take impressions of your teeth. These dental impressions will be sent to a dental lab, where your crown will be made. This process takes 2-3 weeks, so Dr. Hang Pham will apply a temporary crown to your trimmed tooth, then send you home.
You’ll come back into our office for your final appointment once your crown has been completed. Dr. Hang Pham will check the fit of your crown, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, she will bond it into place using a special dental adhesive. Lastly, your crown will be buffed and polished, completing the procedure and restoring your smile.
Get Help Right Away
Same-Day CEREC Crowns
At All Day Smile, Dr. Hang Pham has invested in the latest advanced technology to provide you with better care in Fullerton. Our CEREC (CERamic REconstruction) machine empowers us to provide you with same-day crowns to restore your smile.
CEREC uses an advanced milling machine and a 3D scanner to immediately build tooth-shaped crowns that look and feel completely natural. With our CEREC technology, you can restore your smile in just one appointment, rather than several appointments over a period of 1-2 weeks or longer.
How Does CEREC Work?
Understanding The Process
The CEREC process begins similarly to the traditional crown process. Dr. Hang Pham will begin by cleaning the treatment area and numbing your mouth to keep you feeling safe and comfortable. Then, she will trim away the damaged tooth material from the treatment site, and create a stable platform onto which your crown can be attached.
Then, she will use a hand-held CEREC scanner to take a 3D image of your tooth and your mouth. This is uploaded directly into a special computer, which is connected to a CEREC CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Manufacturing) milling machine.
Dr. Hang Pham will create a crown using the 3D scan of your teeth, and upload the design to the CEREC milling machine. Then, she will place a block of tooth-colored porcelain into the machine, ensuring that it matches your natural teeth.
Then, the CEREC machine will cut the block of porcelain into the proper shape in just a few minutes. Once this process is complete, the crown can be removed, checked, and permanently attached to your tooth.
Usually, the entire process takes less than 1-2 hours at All Day Smile. That means you can repair a damaged or decayed tooth in just one appointment, which is great if you have a busy schedule. Contact us for an appointment now!
The Benefits
Of CEREC Crowns
The biggest benefit of CEREC crowns is that they are much more convenient than traditional, lab-made crowns. This is because lab-made crowns must be made at an outside dental lab, based on impressions and images taken by Dr. Hang Pham. It can take 1-2 weeks to build the crown and have it sent back to our office. CEREC is much faster.
CEREC also lets you avoid wearing a temporary crown. In the traditional crown process, resin crowns must be worn to protect your tooth until your permanent crown arrives at our office. They are a bit bulky and are fragile, so you need to be careful while you’re wearing a temporary crown. With CEREC, there’s no need for this, because your crown will be fitted and placed in just one appointment.
Another good thing about CEREC is that it uses digital scans of your teeth, rather than goopy dental impressions using trays and dental putty. Many patients, especially those with strong gag reflexes, find the process of getting dental impressions to be uncomfortable. CEREC hand-held scanners are faster, more accurate, and more efficient than traditional impressions, making the process easier for you.