What are porcelain crowns, and why do I need them?
When it comes to restorative dentistry, many restorations look like standard dental work has been done. However, the Natalie K. Provenzano DDS, Inc team wants dentistry to be undetectable and entirely natural. No one wants to have dental work noticeable within their smiles when they socialize with others. San Jose, California area patients who need repairing a single tooth, may find the dental crown the most reliable option for their needs.
Understanding the dental crown
A dental crown is a restoration made of porcelain fabricated in the same color as the existing teeth for the patient. That ensures that the dental crown looks completely natural while providing an extra layer of strength and protection for the tooth it is covering. A front tooth crown will look like a natural tooth when created and placed by a skilled cosmetic dentist. This ceramic cap for teeth allows significantly damaged or weakened teeth to remain in place, protecting them from damage. Without the placement of a dental crown, a tooth might need to be permanently extracted.
How does a dental crown work?
The dental crown works by offering another layer of protection. If a weakend tooth does not have a dental crown and a patient bites down on a cube of ice, the natural tooth can crack beyond repair and require removal. However, a tooth that has a dental crown may protect the tooth underneath it. While the dental crown might break in this situation, it can protect the natural tooth from experiencing the same problem, keeping it in place for patients.
How long does a dental crown take?
Crowns are made at an outside laboratory, so Drs. Provenzano and Simel will prepare the tooth in the office, then take a noninvasive scan of the prepared tooth and send it to a specialized lab to fabricate the dental crown. Within a week or two, the crown returns, and patients come back into the office to have it bonded in place.
Ready to discuss the benefits of a ceramic cap for teeth?
Contact Dr. Natalie K. Provenzano and her team in San Jose, CA today to request a consultation visit at 6020 Hellyer Avenue, Ste. #100. Her front office staff can be reached at (408) 226-2542 and accepts new patients and families.
Frequently asked questions
If your tooth is weak or badly damaged from decay or trauma, a dental crown can protect it and keep it from being extracted. A dental crown will cover your tooth to offer an extra layer of protection.
While dental crowns are more commonly used for restorative dentistry, there are certain dental issues of a cosmetic nature for which a dental crown can be used. One such situation would be a tooth which is severely misshapen which cannot be treated with a veneer or dental bonding. Instead, the misshapen tooth can be covered with a crown, which will be crafted to look like a normally shaped and colored tooth. Other cosmetic issues a dental crown can assist with include tooth discoloration and minor gaps between teeth.
While they are durable, dental crowns are not as strong as your natural teeth, so we recommend avoiding sticky, hard, or chewy foods. Otherwise, you can brush your dental crown like a normal tooth, but try to pull the floss through rather than lifting it past the crown.
Dental crowns can last five to fifteen years, depending on how well you care for them.
No, we provide adequate anesthesia to ensure that the process of getting a dental crown is comfortable for you.
Dr. Or Simel
Dr. Natalie Provenzano has been practicing dentistry since 2002 when she graduated from the University of Southern California Dental School in the class’ top 10. She served on the school’s ethics committee and was a member of the Oral Sedation Team and the National Dental Honor Society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon. She also received the American Association of Women Dentists’ Female Dentist of the Year Award.
Also an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Biology, Dr. Provenzano was an active member of Ignatians Service Organization and Delta Gamma Fraternity and was chosen for the Order of Omega and Delta Sigma Nu Honor Societies.
Oral surgeon Dr. Or Simel has been practicing dentistry since 2009. He is a graduate of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry (DDS), UCSF School of Medicine (MD), Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, (BS/Biology), and UCSF School of Dentistry (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery). He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was on the Dean’s List, and National Dental Honor Society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon.
He is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Dental Association, and California Dental Association.
Together, they provide exceptional general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry to patients of all ages in the area.
