Galleria Dental Aesthetics | Dental Blog
Northern Virginia, including Arlington and Alexandria
Archive for November, 2010
Are Dental Crowns a Permanent Fix?
Monday, November 29th, 2010
Dental crowns are often spoken of as a permanent restoration or repair. To the extent that the work done in preparing teeth for crowns is permanent this is absolutely true, but to refer to dental crowns as a permanent fix is misleading. The experienced cosmetic doctors at Galleria Dental Aesthetics point out that it is more accurate to say that dental crowns, like porcelain veneers, inlays and onlays are a long-term restoration.
Life-Expectancy of a Dental Crown
How long a dental crown will last depends on how it is cared for and what it is exposed to. Properly cared for and treated gently, you can expect your tooth crown to last ten or more years. Here are some tips for making your dental crowns last as long as possible:
• Good oral hygiene extends the life of your crown
• Avoid extremes of hot or cold foods and drinks
• Avoid sticky foods such as hard caramels or taffy as these can pull your crowns off
• Avoid biting through hard foods such as candy or ice
• Seek treatment if you grind your teeth or have other habits that involve any impact between your teeth
Other Dental Crown Cautions
One other thing to watch for with dental crowns is deterioration of the cement. Crowns occasionally come off, but can often be recemented. If this happens, clean your crown and protect it in a plastic bag immediately. Contact our office for an appointment to have it recemented as soon as possible.
If you would like to learn more about dental crowns from Northern Virginia’s top rated cosmetic dentists please contact us at Galleria Dental Aesthetics serving Tysons Corner or Alexandria and nearby communities.
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Why Do I Need a Dental Crown?
Monday, November 22nd, 2010
The experienced cosmetic dentists at northern Virginia’s Galleria Dental Aesthetics carefully evaluate the options for repairing, restoring and preserving your teeth. We want to make sure your questions about dental crowns are answered to your satisfaction whenever recommending a dental crown. After examining your teeth, our cosmetic dentists will choose the procedure that gives you the most effective outcome. If we determine that you need a dental crown, it is because a restoration such as an inlay or onlay, or an extraction, porcelain veneers or other treatments would give less effective results.
Why Dental Crowns are Chosen
Dental crowns are chosen over other procedures for a variety of reasons. In many cases, fitting you with a dental crown may be preferable to extracting the tooth. Dental crowns are often used to protect a tooth after a root canal is done.
Dental crowns are effective in preserving teeth that are weakened from decay, worn down from age or grinding, or are cracked. The crown strengthens the tooth and prevents further damage and discomfort from exposed pulp.
Dental crowns can replace your removable bridge with a permanent one by anchoring it to neighboring teeth. To improve aesthetics, dental crowns can cover misshapen or unevenly sized teeth so your smile is something to be proud of.
Dental crowns can also be colored to match your teeth, which may be discolored due to certain medications, metal fillings, or stubborn stains.
To learn more about how the experienced cosmetic dentists in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner and Alexandria use dental crowns, please contact us at Galleria Dental Aesthetics for a personal evaluation.
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What is the Dental Crown Process?
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Dr. Lee, Dr. Oh, Dr. Dillon and Dr. Mortazie want to make sure that your new all-porcelain tooth crown matches your natural teeth, both in color and shape. Since dental crowns take exacting preparation, you can be certain that our northern Virginia top-rated cosmetic dentists adhere to the dental industry’s highest standards of practice in the dental crowns process. For that reason, they may also evaluate other options such as dental inlays or onlays before recommending a dental crown.
Dental Crowns–A Two-Step Process
Dental crowns generally require two visits:
• First Visit: Preparation of your tooth and preparing a mold that the lab uses to manufacture your crown.
To begin, your tooth is treated to bring it to its healthiest state. Next, your tooth will be reduced to allow the dental crown to fit comfortably, as it will replace the portion that is being removed during this shaping step. If your tooth is damaged, too small or weak, it may need to be built up to give sufficient support for the crown. A mold is then made for the lab to use in manufacturing your custom porcelain dental crown. For the last step, your dentist will place a temporary crown to provide protection until your next visit.
• Second Visit: Fitting and cementing your tooth.
During your second visit, your Galleria Dental Aesthetics cosmetic dentist will fit your dental crown by placing it over the prepared tooth. He carefully checks your bite to see that all surfaces fit as they should and that it feels comfortable and natural to you. When this has been determined he cements the dental crown in place.
With proper dental hygiene, your custom dental crown should last you a very long time.
For more information about dental crowns in Northern Virginia, Alexandria and Tysons Corner, please contact Galleria Dental Aesthetics for an evaluation by one of the area’s best cosmetic dentists.
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Problems Dental Crowns Fix
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
If you think dental crowns are only for root canals you may be surprised to learn how many other problems dental crowns fix. In addition to root canals, a tooth crown is often the best treatment for repairing and restoring damaged, decayed or missing teeth.
How Dental Crowns Fix Damage Caused by Metal Fillings
Large fillings, especially metal fillings, often cause problems that are not apparent until more damage takes place. Metal fillings expand contract when exposed to heat and cold from the foods we eat, and this changes the pressure against the enamel walls of the teeth that encase them. Fillings intended to protect your teeth can, over time, become the cause of further damage to these teeth.
Likewise, subsequent decay of teeth with fillings eventually requires larger fillings, further weakening the tooth as more of its natural structure is lost. Dental crowns reinforce these teeth by encasing them completely in a stronger shell and preventing further deterioration.
Our Galleria Dental Aesthetics cosmetic dentists use only all-porcelain crowns protecting you from the concerns raised about metal restorations. Porcelain crowns are ideal for reshaping teeth, for implant crowns, and anchoring dental bridges, as well.
If you would like to learn more about preserving your teeth with dental crowns in the Alexandria and Tysons Corner areas please contact the top rated cosmetic dentists at Galleria Dental Aesthetics serving Northern Virginia patients.
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