Fillings and Crowns

Fillings and Crowns

Fillings

When cavities occur, fillings are used to replace the portion of the tooth destroyed by the decay. Tooth-colored fillings are also commonly applied to repair breaks, chips, and cracks in teeth as well as the wear that occurs when patients grind their teeth or engage in bad oral habits such as nail biting.

A few decades ago, dark fillings (an amalgam of silver, other metals, and mercury) were a common sight. Today, modern tooth restorative options make it virtually impossible to tell if a person has had dental work performed.

A sculpting material of sorts, Composite Resin is easily molded into the perfect shape, size, and color to restore your appearance and bite. It can additionally be used to cover stains and discolorations that do not respond to professional teeth whitening.

East Coast Centre begins the filling placement procedure by numbing the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic. We then use special instruments to remove the decayed portion of the tooth and shape the space for optimal bonding of the filling. Taking great care to keep the area clean and dry (which is essential) we place the resin material in layers, hardening each layer under a special light before moving to the next. This layering allows Dr. Chickey to customize the colors to match your tooth. Finally, we polish the material to achieve the ideal shape, thus ensuring that the tooth comfortably meets with opposing teeth and has a great cosmetic appearance.

Crowns

While fillings are placed and shaped directly on the tooth, dental crowns are constructed outside of the mouth by a skilled Ceramist, and then Dr. Chickey bonds this restoration to your tooth. These durable restorations cover the entire portion of the tooth above the gumline and are used in a variety of situations to strengthen and protect damaged teeth.

These are the most common scenarios for crowns:

• Extensive decay
• Root canal treatment
• Broken cusps (points)
• Cracks
• Tooth wear
• Cosmetic issues
• Dental bridges

Crowns are constructed from a variety of materials, including metal alloys, stainless steel, porcelain, and Zirconia Oxide. All-porcelain or Zirconia crowns are ideal for the front teeth because they most closely mimic your real teeth. For molars, which must withstand stronger chewing forces, we typically place all Zirconia which are as durable as an All-gold crown and gives you the perfect combination of strength and cosmetic appeal.

Crown placement is also performed under local anesthesia, and Dr. Chickey begins by removing decay or damaged areas. To ensure that the crown stays in place, we must give your tooth a specific shape, which may involve reducing the tooth structure or building it up with filling material.

After achieving the right shape, we make a mold of your tooth to send to the dental laboratory so that your crown can be constructed to fit perfectly. We affix a temporary crown, and you will need to return to our office when your permanent crown is ready. After trying on the crown and making sure that the fit and color are correct, we will permanently bond the restoration to your tooth.

For crowns and fillings and all of your adult dentistry needs, call East Coast Centre today.