Most people will experience damage to the surface (enamel) of their teeth at some point. Teeth become cracked, chipped or discolored due to a large range of causes, from severe trauma to the natural effects of day to day wear.

When decay or damage to the surface of a tooth becomes significant, the tooth can be reduced and a custom-made tooth bonded to its surface. This artificial tooth is called a "crown." Crowns are also often used to anchor bridges, structures that replace missing teeth.

When damage to the tooth extends to the foundation (root) of the tooth, a bridge or dental implant may be a better solution. The dentist will discuss your options for restorations with you after an initial examination.

Crowns are most commonly made of porcelain or porcelain bonded to metal (usually gold). With the state-of-the-art Cerec system, in some cases we can manufacture your crown right in our office to be placed the same day.

Procedure

First, the dentist will remove any decay and shape your tooth to receive a crown. The crown must be thick enough to withstand chewing, which means that the natural tooth below the crown must be reduced.

For Cerec restorations, an optical 3D image of the tooth surface is acquired with a small camera. The restoration is created on a computer screen using this image. Using Computer Aided Manufacture technology, diamond-coated instruments mill a ceramic block to reproduce the design created on the computer.

In some cases, we will instead send your information to a dental lab for construction of the crown.

The final crown is then cemented in place and polished, restoring the tooth to its natural strength, appearance and function.

Failla and DeFrancesco Family Dentistry
Offering Comprehensive Dental Care to Patients of All Ages
Vincent PA Failla, DMD • Robert DeFrancesco, DMD
Tel: (781) 894-3143 • Fax: (781) 736-0712
976 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451 
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