Earl dental screening can be the difference between Dr. Luu being able to save and restore a patient’s natural tooth or her having to extract it. A crown is used when the visible part of the tooth (technically called the crown), has suffered extensive damage, and cannot be restored with fillings, bonding, inlays, or onlays, but the root of the tooth is still healthy.

There are several reasons that a patient may need a dental crown to preserve a tooth, they include:

• Accidents – When it comes to accidents like tripping on a flight of stairs, it is possible to break a tooth. When the damage is extensive and the tooth cannot be repaired with bonding material a dental crown can be used to repair and restore the damaged tooth.
• Cavities – When a cavity is not treated, it can cause major damage to the tooth, so much that it cannot be restored. If the cavity allows bacteria to reach the pulp at the center of the tooth, a root canal will be necessary.
• Root Canal – While untreated cavities are a common reason a patient may need a root canal, there are others. Anything that damages the pulp can result in the need for a root canal, including but not limited to trauma to the face, chips, and cracks. Once a root canal has been performed, the tooth is brittle and fragile and a crown can protect and reinforce it.

The crown process

Getting a dental crown normally requires two appointments with Dr. Luu. During the first appointment, your tooth and gums will be numbed with a local anesthetic, and then she will remove the damaged portion of the tooth. Once this is complete, Dr. Luu will reshape your tooth for the dental crown, take impressions of both arches of teeth, and determine the shade of your crown based on the color of your existing teeth. The dental lab will use this information to create a crown that will be a perfect match to your other teeth in size, shape, and shade. It typically takes about two weeks for the lab to fabricate your crown, so Dr. Luu will place a temporary crown to protect the prepared tooth. During the second appointment, the temporary crown will be removed and the permanent one will be placed.

If you have a tooth that is damaged, and needs a dental crown, call Gentle Care Dentistry today at +1 626-466-9596 and schedule your appointment. You will discover “Gentle Care Dentistry” is more than a name, it is a promise. This is the reason many of Dr. Luu’s patients come from surrounding communities, including Duarte, to receive their dental care from her Azusa office.

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