Dental Crowns in New Orleans, Louisiana
What is a dental crown?
If you think of a tooth, you can divide it into two parts — the root and the crown. The root is anchored into the jawbone and is covered by the gums. The visible part of the upper tooth is the natural crown. When a damaged tooth is covered by an artificial restoration that partially or completely covers the natural crown, this is called a dental crown.
Dental crowns used to be referred to as “caps,” and that is a good description as the crown is a cap of sorts, fitting over the entire area of the tooth above the gum line, restoring the original size and shape of the tooth. The real point, however, is to return strength to the damaged tooth.
What problems do crowns correct?
Dental crowns can restore the strength in a damaged tooth, can cover serious imperfections, or can act as anchors for a dental bridge.
Here’s a list of problems we use crowns to fix at Fleur de Lis:
- Teeth with overly large fillings
- Severely worn teeth
- Broken or fractured teeth
- Heavily decayed teeth
- Chipped teeth
- Misshapen teeth
- Teeth that have had a root canal
- Teeth on both sides of a bridge
- Severely discolored teeth
How are crowns made and applied?
At most practices, the preparation and placement of a crown requires two appointments. At Fleur de Lis, however, thanks to our in-house ceramic crown fabrication ability we can place a crown in just one visit.
First, we must prepare the tooth. Decayed or damaged areas of the tooth are removed and the tooth is thoroughly cleaned. Next, to make room for the crown, we shave off a portion of the tooth enamel. We then take digital measurements and photos and send them to our CEREC system, which uses CAD/CAM technology to design and then create your porcelain crown. This fabrication only takes around 30 minutes. When your crown is finished, we test it for fit and color match with your adjacent teeth. We make adjustments as necessary, and then we cement the crown onto your tooth permanently.
Schedule A Consultation
If you are interested in Dental Crowns or Bridges and would like to see if you are a good candidate, contact our New Orleans office at (504) 486-3339 to schedule a consultation.
