Is It Painful to Have a Dental Crown Placed?
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When you have tooth decay in Plano, TX, Dr. Tim Nguyen at Parker West Dental Associates can offer solutions to restore your oral health and overall function, like a dental crown. This restorative dentistry treatment is used after tooth decay is removed from a tooth, a root canal is performed, or a dental implant is surgically inserted into the jawbone. Dr. Nguyen can perform a thorough dental exam to evaluate your oral health and to determine if you need a crown.
Why do I need a crown?
A crown can help many oral health situations, including:
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Restoring broken or worn teeth
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Protecting a weak tooth with decay from breaking
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Holding a cracked tooth together
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Concealing discolored teeth
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Covering a tooth with a large filling that doesn’t have much left
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Restoring a smile with minor imperfections
At Parker West Dental Associates, we provide comprehensive dental exams that examine your oral health and suggest treatments, such as a crown, that can help restore your oral health.
How do dental crowns work?
Dental crowns are caps that fit directly over an existing tooth, restoring a tooth with severe tooth decay. It protects the remaining portion of the tooth from further damage and keeps your bite intact. Crowns can be used with bridges to fill gaps between teeth. They are also used to support large fillings and to protect weak teeth.
Local anesthesia is used before the crown process begins. After you’re numb, Dr. Nguyen will prepare the tooth by removing any decay. The tooth can be built up later to match the height of the teeth around it. He uses 3-D imaging and a laser scanner to create your restoration, which is usually made while you wait. The entire process takes about two hours. Same-day crowns eliminate the need for uncomfortable temporaries and the need for a second visit to our Plano, TX office.
Is getting a crown painful?
A lidocaine shot or another local anesthesia is used to numb the area, which patients generally say doesn’t hurt. The recovery period after a dental crown can last for a few days as the body recovers from the inflammation associated with the dental procedure. It’s normal to feel numb for a few hours after your procedure as the effects of the anesthesia take a period of time to wear off. It’s also not unusual to feel some discomfort, pain, or tooth sensitivity for the first few days. Some patients may experience sensitivity when brushing, flossing, or while chewing or biting. This sensitivity usually resolves itself within a week after the crown has been placed.
How long do crowns last?
Crowns aren’t permanent. However, with proper oral hygiene, they can last a long time. For a crown to last the longest, it’s important that the crown is properly fitted for each of our patients. Dr. Nguyen works carefully to make sure that your crown precisely fits your bite. A regular oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing will elongate its life, which is usually 15 – 20 years.
How to extend the life of your crown
Avoid grinding or clenching your teeth as any type of trauma can lead to your crown chipping or cracking. A custom-made nightguard can help protect your teeth. Also, don’t bite fingernails or chew on hard objects, like hard candy or ice. A regular at-home oral hygiene routine of brushing at least twice a day and daily flossing helps keep your oral health is at its best. This will help ensure that your crown lasts as long as possible.
Learn if a crown is the best treatment option for your oral health situation
At Parker West Dental Associates, we are committed to offering our patients the safest and most effective treatments for their oral health. We offer comprehensive dental exams with Dr. Tim Nguyen that can detect oral health issues that may need a crown. Call our professional team at our Plano, TX office today to schedule an online consultation to determine if your oral health can benefit from a porcelain crown.