Dental Crowns in Jensen Beach, FL

Providing quality dental crowns in Jensen Beach, FL

When you think about everything we put our teeth through, it’s amazing that we have any as we head into our senior years! From chewing to clenching and grinding, your natural teeth take a real beating.

Since enamel is the hardest substance in your body, we do have some armor against the force that our teeth absorb. Occasionally, however, they can sustain damage from day-to-day wear or extensive decay.

If and when this occurs, Dr. Chris Wigley, your dentist in Jensen Beach, FL, may recommend a dental crown placed at our Jensen Beach dental office. A dental crown provides a layer of protection for a damaged tooth so that you can eat, speak, and smile with confidence again.

Call Our Dental Office to Schedule an Exam for Dental Crowns in Jensen Beach, FL

If you feel that you might benefit from a crown or filling, or if you experience pain when you bite down, call Jensen Beach Dental today to schedule an exam with Christopher J. Wigley, DMD, FAGD. He is highly skilled and extremely gentle when it comes to all of the dental treatments we provide.

Our entire team looks forward to partnering with you and helping you achieve a lifetime of healthy smiles!

• How is a dental crown in Jensen Beach different from a filling?
• Why do I need a dental crown?
• What problems do dental crowns fix?
• Can you fix a broken tooth with dental crowns?
• Do you use dental crowns to fix cosmetic flaws?
• What does getting a dental crown involve?
• What materials do you use for dental crowns?
• How long do dental crowns last?
• How should I care for my new dental crown?

What materials do you use for dental crowns?

Dental crowns in Jensen Beach, FL come in a variety of materials including porcelain fused to metal, full porcelain, and even full gold crowns. We often use highly aesthetic metal-free crowns that do not show unsightly metal edges. We can improve those old, unsightly crowns you had placed years ago with modern dental materials that are stronger and more attractive.

How long do dental crowns last?

The materials we use for dental crowns are extremely strong and durable. A well-made dental crown can last as long as 15 years, but with proper care, they may last as long as 25 years!

Proper care involves brushing twice a day and flossing once. If you’re rusty with your oral hygiene skills, ask your dental hygienist for tips for getting the most out of your efforts.

You also need to maintain twice-yearly visits to our Jensen Beach, FL dental office for preventive exams and teeth cleanings. During these visits, Dr. Wigley, your dentist in Jensen Beach, FL,  will also check the condition of your crown to make sure it’s in good shape.

One habit that may affect the longevity of your new crown is chronic teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism). In this case, Dr. Wigley would recommend a night guard to protect your dental crown from the damage that bruxism causes.

Dental crowns in Jensen Beach, FL and fillings both restore the strength, function, and appearance of a compromised tooth. But a filling can only do so much, and at some point, and if the damage is extensive enough, Dr. Wigley would recommend a dental crown.

Unlike a filling that we place in your tooth, a dental crown is designed to fully encase and protect your tooth from further damage. For this reason, you may also hear dental crowns referred to as “caps” because they protect your teeth like a little helmet.

Once your crown is in place, it absorbs the chewing forces that might otherwise damage the compromised tooth beneath it. And since we place all-porcelain crowns, you can be confident that your new restoration will look natural and blend seamlessly with your smile.

Why do I need a dental crown?

When you break or crack a tooth, a filling might do the trick. Sometimes, though, if you damage a molar or a tooth that absorbs force from chewing, a dental crown can provide you with greater protection.

Because a tooth crown in Jensen Beach, FL covers the entire structure of your tooth above the gum line, it can hold a damaged tooth together that might otherwise fracture. A fractured tooth causes pain and will likely require an extraction, so we prefer to protect your tooth with the appropriate restoration, whenever possible.

Retaining your natural teeth wherever possible is always the best bet for your oral health. Tooth loss can lead to a negative chain reaction, causing your bone to deteriorate and your remaining teeth to shift, which can ruin your bite.

What problems do dental crowns fix?

Since Dr. Wigley, your Jensen Beach, FL dentist,  customizes your dental crown for your unique needs, we can use them in a variety of ways:

• Strengthen a tooth that's too damaged for a filling
• Protect a fractured tooth from further damage
• Restore a broken tooth to full function
• Protect a tooth after root canal treatment
• Restore function to a dental implant
• Conceal cosmetic flaws like misshapen or discolored teeth

As you can see, dental crowns at our Jensen Beach dental office are quite versatile! If you need to repair a damaged or broken tooth with dental crowns, call Dr. Wigley to arrange a convenient dental appointment.

If you want to repair broken teeth in Jensen Beach, FL, dental crowns may be the solution you need. In some cases, you may need your tooth structure to be rebuilt using a core. A core is a large filling that adds to your tooth and gives your crown a good foundation.

However, a broken tooth may not require a crown to fix. If the damage is minor, porcelain veneers or cosmetic dental bonding may be a more appropriate solution.

Do you use dental crowns to fix cosmetic flaws?

Dr. Wigley sometimes recommends dental crowns to correct certain cosmetic dental flaws like a misshapen or severely discolored tooth. However, since placing a dental crown requires us to remove some tooth structure, it may not be the healthiest choice in your case.

Other procedures, like porcelain veneers or cosmetic dental bonding, are more conservative. With porcelain dental veneers, we only need to remove a thin layer of tooth enamel. In the case of dental bonding, we may not need to alter your tooth at all to conceal whatever cosmetic dental flaw that bothers you.

What does getting a dental crown involve?

To make room for your dental crown, we will remove some of your natural tooth structure. Once we prep your tooth, we will take a digital scan for a temporary crown that will hold you over while our custom dental lab fabricates your new crown. Digital impressions are much more comfortable and accurate than the traditional impression material.

We send all the information we gather to a custom dental lab that prepares your crown to our specifications. When we receive your permanent crown, we will permanently bond it to your tooth. This process can extend the life of your tooth by decades.

As with all dental restorations, your crown will last longer if you practice excellent oral hygiene habits and come in for regular dental cleanings and exams at our Jensen Beach, FL dental office. Preventive maintenance is your best insurance policy when it comes to protecting your smile and your dentistry.