If you have a dental appointment at a clinic like Willowdaile Family Dentistry to get your first crown, you may be worried about what to expect. If you've been in a lot of pain due to a cavity or abscessed tooth, you might be concerned that getting a crown will be a painful procedure. It may help to learn a little bit about how the process works. This is what you can expect.

Anesthesia For Pain

Getting a dental crown is not painful because the dentist gives you an anesthetic injection that blocks pain. In fact, the anesthetic will help relieve any toothache you feel too, so you may be pain free for the first time in days. An anesthetic is necessary because the dentist needs to drill away all the decayed portion of your tooth. If you have a fear of drills or needles, your dentist may be able to give you nitrous oxide gas or some other medication to help relax you during the procedure.

Preparation Of The Tooth

Your tooth has to be shaped to accept the crown. This involves removing decay and shaping the tooth to fit inside a crown. Once that's done, the dentist makes an impression of your tooth. This is then sent to a dental lab so a crown can be custom created. Your dentist may put a temporary crown on your tooth to cover and protect it while you wait for the permanent one to be made.

Placement Of The Crown

The crown is applied on a second visit to your dentist. First, the surface of your tooth is etched to make it rough. This allows the crown to adhere better. Then the crown is placed on your tooth and adjusted. The edges may need to be filed and trimmed to be an exact match with your other teeth. Once all the adjustments have been made, the crown is cemented to your tooth with dental adhesive. Once the crown is in place, your tooth is stable and strong enough to chew and bite as you normally would.

Depending on the type of crown you get, it could blend in well enough with your other teeth that no one will know it isn't natural. Porcelain and ceramic crowns are best at matching your natural enamel. Gold crowns are quite noticeable, but they are very strong. A gold crown might be a good choice if you like the way it looks, or if you tend to grind your teeth and will put a lot of pressure on the crown.

Getting a dental crown is not difficult or painful to endure. It is a routine dental procedure that will preserve your smile and restore your damaged tooth to its natural function.