CEREC Crowns at Prairie Hawk Dental

Crowns are used to protect and strengthen teeth that have become extremely weak, decayed or fractured. By covering your affected tooth and restoring it to its original shape and size, dental crowns (sometimes called caps) can help reduce pain, save your tooth from needing to be extracted and keep your smile beautiful and functional. At our office in Castle Rock, CO, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your smile.

Over time, as your teeth begin to weaken, they become more susceptible to problems, including decay, cracks and discoloration. Crowns are usually only necessary if decay has reached the point where the tooth structure is compromised. At Prairie Hawk Dental, we use CEREC restorations, which are made of compressed porcelain and possibly stronger than the layered porcelain crowns created in a laboratory. In addition to being stronger and longer-wearing, CEREC restorations can also be created and installed in only one visit, unlike laboratory restorations, which can take weeks to complete and require a temporary crown or restoration to be placed in the meantime.

The placement procedure for a CEREC restoration is easy and doesn’t require you to bite on any goopy and uncomfortable impression material. First all the decay is removed from your teeth, and then the dentist shapes the tooth in preparation for the digital 3D video impression that is taken with a digital camera. The camera is attached to a computer screen, which displays the 3D image, allowing the dentist to design the restoration in front of you. Then the CEREC machine creates the crown in about 15-30 minutes and the dentist adheres it to the tooth preparation. The entire process, from design to installation, takes around an hour and a half per tooth.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Aaron Goodman, call 720-515-1801. For more information, please visit www.prairiehawkdental.com. 

Crown Lengthening with Dr. Aaron Goodman

A dentist’s first goal is always to save your teeth, which means that dental professionals have developed many dental procedures that help prevent tooth extraction. One such procedure is crown lengthening, which we use at Prairie Hawk Dental in cases where decay has decimated a tooth to a point where there is not enough tooth structure left upon which to fix a crown.

If a tooth has broken below the gum line or if decay has developed underneath an existing crown or filling, crown lengthening allows a new crown to be placed rather than extracting the tooth.

While called crown lengthening, this common surgical procedure does not actually lengthen the crown. What it does is lower the gum line, and it does this by removing gum tissue, bone or both to expose more of the tooth and provide a foundation for the crown.

The procedure is performed with a local anesthesia to numb the area. When the area is fully numb, Dr. Aaron Goodman will gently and with a state-of-the-art laser expose the roots and surrounding bone. In some cases, removing a little of the gum tissue will expose enough of the tooth for placing a crown. However, it is more likely that some bone will also have to be removed from around the roots of the teeth. After removing the necessary amount of tissue and bone, the area will be washed. 

Occasionally, the gums will have to be sutured or stitched, but most of the time with the laser, that is unnecessary. 

Our office works hard to always protect your teeth and to provide the best quality of dental care available. To schedule an appointment at our practice in Castle Rock, CO, call 720-515-1801. For more information, please visit www.prairiehawkdental.com.

Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and onlays are two procedures that use the tooth structure as a base for restoration. Often called partial crowns, both inlays and onlays strengthen the tooth while restoring its shape and working to prevent further damage. At Prairie Hawk Dental, we use these procedures to repair teeth when decay is too extensive to support a filling but not bad enough to use a crown.

 

When there is no damage to the cusps of a tooth, Dr. Aaron Goodman uses an inlay, bonding it right on top of the tooth. Made of porcelain, inlays are both strong and natural-looking, providing an attractive solution to repairing your tooth. Onlays are used when damage is a little more extensive and are used to repair part of the cusp of the tooth.

 

Inlays and onlays can be created with a CEREC machine, which creates crowns, inlays, onlays and veneers right in the office. Because the machine uses compressed porcelain, inlays and onlays are even stronger than those that come from a laboratory.

 

To ensure that your teeth get the best care with up-to-date technology, schedule an appointment with our office in Castle Rock, CO by calling 720-515-1801. For more information, visit www.PrairieHawkDental.com.