Dental Crowns and Bridges in Cheshire CT

Is your tooth damaged by decay or trauma? You might benefit from a dental crown. 

A dental crown (or "cap") is required when a substantial or large portion of tooth structure is compromised in some way. A tooth can require a crown for any number of reasons, the most common being:

• Extensive tooth decay that has damaged more than 60% of your tooth
• Weakening caused by root canal therapy (see our section about "root canals" to learn more about this procedure)
• A tooth that has more filling than natural tooth and is at risk of cracking or fracturing

As you can see, all of the above reasons for a dental crown have one thing in common – the tooth that needs the crown is weakened by some process and needs to be strengthened. A crown strengthens the remaining tooth structure by holding the tooth together, concealing the damage and protecting the tooth from further harm.

First, we will anesthetize (numb) the area that we are working on so that you will not feel any discomfort for the duration of the visit. Then, we will begin the process of removing any cavities or the damaged portion of the tooth. During this removal process, we will also be shaping the tooth so that a dental crown can fit correctly over the tooth. 

After the shaping, we need to record an impression of the prepared tooth for the laboratory to fabricate your custom crown. 

Here at Cheshire Dental Associates, we have leading-edge technology that allows us to digitally scan a tooth that has been prepared for a crown or bridge, then send that digital image to a milling unit that mills your customized dental crown. This technology offers several benefits:

• You do not need to sit for six minutes (which feels like an eternity!) with goopy dental impression material in your mouth. You simply open and we scan your prepared tooth with a digital scanner.
• This process saves you time because the crown can typically be inserted and the entire procedure completed in one visit (traditional crown appointments with a dental impression require two visits).
• This also means that you either need no temporary crown or will be in a temporary crown for a very short period of time compared to a traditional dental impression.

Precision Fit-Checking with 3-D Printed Models

In addition to advanced technology like digital scanning, our in-house Formlabs 3-D printer allows us to produce highly accurate physical models of your prepared tooth directly from your digital scan. This lets Dr. Fletcher or Dr. Marandino verify the fit and shape of your restoration with precision before your same-day crown is finalized, helping ensure a comfortable, natural-feeling result.

3-D Printed Temporary Crowns While You Wait

For same-day crowns cases that do require a short waiting period, our on-site 3-D printer allows us to fabricate a custom temporary crown that closely matches the look and feel of your natural tooth until a permanent restoration is ready. Because we print in-house, temporaries are ready quickly, so you're never left with a gap in your smile while your permanent crown is completed.

If you feel that you would be a candidate for a dental crown or you would like Cheshire dentists Dr. Marandino or Dr. Fletcher to determine if you are a candidate, please give our office a call to set up a consultation appointment!