Dental Crowns
Platte City, MO

Your teeth are the strongest substance in your body. While strong, however, they are still susceptible to physical damage and tooth decay. When these issues occur, they do more than just affect the appearance of your teeth. Damaged and decayed teeth can put your oral, and overall, health at risk for serious complications. At Platte Valley Dental Care, we can treat damaged teeth with crowns.

What Are Crowns?

When your teeth are affected by minor damage, the damage that only affects the outermost layer of your teeth, this damage is almost always cosmetic and does not usually impact your oral health. More significant damage, however, can affect the appearance of your teeth as well as the health of your mouth. Crowns are a type of dental restoration that is designed to restore the health of significantly damaged or decayed teeth. A crown resembles a small cap in appearance that is made to cover over the entire visible surface of a damaged tooth. It holds a damaged tooth together, restoring its strength and preventing more serious complications from occurring.

Different Types of Crowns

Crowns can be made from one of several different materials:

•	Metal. Metal crowns are the strongest. They have been in use the longest and had a lifespan of 50 years or more. While exceptionally strong, they are either silver or gold in color, making them stand out against the rest of your teeth.
•	Porcelain fused to metal. PFM crowns have a metal base that surrounds the tooth with a porcelain coating. The porcelain acts to provide a more natural appearance. With these crowns, however, a thin metal line is often visible.
•	Ceramic. These crowns are made entirely of ceramic. They provide the best aesthetic results, looking just like the rest of your teeth. They are not as strong as metal crowns, but they can withstand most normal daily use.

Why Get a Crown?

There are several benefits to getting a crown to treat a damaged tooth:

•	The crown holds the tooth together, preventing further harm.
•	The tooth is protected against infection.
•	The strength is restored to the tooth, and it can function normally.
•	Crowns help to prevent the need for a tooth extraction.
•	Crowns also help to provide protection after a root canal or replace missing teeth as a part of a dental implant.

The Crown Process

Getting a crown typically requires two separate visits. We first need to prepare the damaged teeth. This process involves removing a portion of the tooth enamel to reduce the tooth in size. After the tooth is prepared, we then take an impression of your mouth. The impression is sent to our dental lab, where your crown is custom created just for you. It can take up to two weeks for your crown to be completed. A temporary restoration is provided in the meantime. Once your crown is ready, we check the crown to make sure it fits and that your bite is natural. If no adjustments need to be made, we cement the crown into place on your tooth. If you have suffered tooth damage, getting treatment is essential for avoiding serious oral health, and whole-body health, issues.

For those who don't want to make two trips to see us, we offer Same-Day Crowns.

Call Platte Valley Dental Care today at (816)858-2027 to schedule your consultation and find out if a crown is a right solution for you.