Teeth caps, also known as dental crowns, are tooth-shaped coverings that dentists use as a restorative solution for damaged teeth.
What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is essentially a tooth-shaped cap. Dentists utilize these caps to restore weak, broken, or decayed teeth. Think of it as a protective covering or a new surface for the damaged tooth.
The Dentist's Process: How a Crown Is Used
When a dentist decides a crown is needed, the process involves preparing the existing tooth so the crown can fit securely and function correctly.
Here's the basic method:
- Preparation: The dentist prepares the tooth that needs the crown. This is a crucial step for ensuring a proper fit.
- Enamel Removal: As part of this preparation, a dentist will need to remove a small amount of enamel before bonding your new crown in place. This step makes room for the crown and helps it sit correctly alongside neighboring teeth.
- Fitting: The prepared crown is then carefully fitted over the entire existing tooth.
- Bonding: Once the fit is verified, the crown is bonded securely to the underlying tooth structure.
A fitted crown covers the entire visible part of the tooth, acting like a snug hat, providing strength and protection.
Why Dentists Use Crowns
Dentists use crowns for various reasons, primarily to restore the structure, function, and appearance of a damaged tooth. Some common situations include:
- Protecting a weak tooth from breaking.
- Holding together parts of a cracked tooth.
- Restoring a tooth that is severely worn down.
- Covering and supporting a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth structure left.
- Covering misshapen or severely discolored teeth.
In essence, dentists use teeth caps to encase a damaged tooth, providing it with a new, strong outer surface after preparing the original tooth structure by carefully removing a small amount of enamel.
