Dental Crowns in Greenwood, IN

Protect damaged teeth and enhance your smile with custom crowns.

A New Smile Family & Cosmetic Dentistry can protect and enhance your teeth with custom dental crowns that blend flawlessly with your natural teeth. Crowns are a budget-friendly option to restore the strength and beauty of severely damaged or decayed teeth while protecting them from future damage and potential loss.

What Are Dental Crowns?

Crowns are caps made of porcelain, zirconia, or porcelain over metal that fit snugly over the visible surface of a tooth. The crown covers the top and all sides down to the gum line. The crown is custom-designed to fit perfectly over the damaged tooth, protecting it from bacteria and biting forces and strengthening it.

Why You Might Need a Crown

While most crowns are placed to protect or repair a tooth, you can also get a crown for cosmetic reasons if a tooth is misshapen or discolored. Among the reasons you might need a dental crown are:

• A damaged or broken tooth: A crown restores its original shape and holds the tooth together.
• Severe decay: If a tooth has severe decay that a filling cannot correct, a crown is an excellent alternative.
• A root canal: Following a root canal, a dental crown provides strength and support to a fragile tooth.
• Strengthening a weak tooth: If a tooth has had several fillings or repairs, a crown can add support and strength.
• Uneven wear: If you grind your teeth and there is excessive wear, crowns can restore shape and balance.
• Cosmetic improvement: Any tooth that is discolored, misshapen, or misaligned can be improved with a dental crown.
• Restoring a dental implant: A crown completes the implant by providing a natural-looking and functional replacement tooth.

The Crown Placement Process – Tooth Restoration in Greenwood

At your first appointment, we remove any decay or damage and prepare your tooth to accept the crown. This usually involves trimming it down to allow room for the crown to fit over the sides of the tooth. We take an impression of the tooth and send it to our dental lab, where they will design and fabricate your permanent crown. In the meantime, you will wear a temporary crown to protect the tooth.

When the permanent crown is ready, we remove the temporary crown and check its fit before cementing it into place. We then trim and polish the crown for a beautiful, comfortable restoration that blends with your natural teeth.

Benefits of Dental Crowns

• Replaces missing teeth
• Offers support to misshapen teeth or badly broken teeth
• Looks completely natural
• Fixes smile and functional chewing problems

Dental Crown FAQs

How long do crowns last?

With proper care, porcelain crowns can last 10 to 15 years or longer. Metal crowns can last even longer.

Are crowns painful?

Not at all. We numb the area before preparing the tooth for the crown and when placing it. You may feel some pressure, but this is normal. For a day or two after each procedure, you may experience some sensitivity, which is easily managed with an over-the-counter pain reliever.

Can I eat normally?

For the first hour after getting a crown, do not eat. This allows the dental cement to set properly. After that, eat only soft foods for the first 2 to 3 days and try to avoid chewing on the side of the mouth where your crown is located. You can begin adding firmer foods after that. It is generally best to avoid very sticky foods like caramels or taffy, as well as hard foods like jawbreakers.

What’s the difference between crowns and veneers?

Crowns cover the entire visible portion of a tooth, including the top and all sides. The tooth needs to be trimmed down on all sides to accommodate the crown. Veneers are thin shells, usually made of porcelain, which are applied to the front surface of a tooth, usually the front teeth, for cosmetic purposes. They do not add strength or protect the teeth like crowns.

If you need a dental crown in Greenwood, A New Smile Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is your local source for comfortable care and exceptional results. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Patricia New or Dr. Shane New, contact our office at A New Smile Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Office Phone Number 317-888-6684.