Dental crowns are restorations designed to protect teeth that are cracked, broken, or damaged. These strengthen the damaged tooth so that it remains functional. Porcelain crowns are made completely out of porcelain. These are preferred by patients because they look very natural and it is often difficult to notice their difference from your natural teeth.

Crowns are fast becoming the perfect restoration for teeth that have been broken or weakened by decay or a filling. They can also be used for improving the appearance of your tooth that has discolored fillings. It can also be used to protect what is left of a damaged tooth. Crowns are recommended for holding a bridge or denture firmly in place.

Initial Procedures can be Time-Consuming

Your dentist will need to shape and prepare your tooth for the crown fitting process. This will involve removing a good part of the outer surface, leaving a strong inner core intact. The amount of tooth material removed usually corresponds to the thickness of the crown. After the tooth shaping process, your dentist will take an impression of the prepared tooth and also that of the opposite jaw. This is done to mark your bite and get the corresponding positions right.

The data is then passed to the dental laboratory along with the shade of the tooth to be created so that a crown of the right size, shade, and design can be created to perfectly match your needs.

In cases where the crown is to be fitted in root-filled teeth, it may become necessary to insert a post before the crown is placed, to provide additional support. The post is generally made of pre-fabricated stainless steel which the dentist can fit directly into the root canal. Alternately, a custom-made post can be created to precisely fit the shape of the prepared root canal. The post is cemented into position and made ready to receive the perfectly fabricated crown.

A Temporary Crown to Help You in the Intermediate Period

Fabrication of the perfect crown can take time. That’s why your dentist will provide a temporary crown so that you can use the tooth till the crown is delivered from the laboratory. It is fixed temporarily and can be removed without much effort. The new crown will be tested for fit and appearance. Once your dentist is satisfied with the result, it will be fixed in place with special dental cement. The cement forms a strong seal to hold the crown in place.

The treatment may take about two to three visits to complete. The first couple of visits are for the preparation, impression, and shade taking and fitting the temporary crown. In the next visit, which will be a good two weeks after the first appointment, you will be ready to receive the permanent crown.

If your Tampa dentist offers CEREC crown facility, you can get the whole thing done in one single visit. CEREC is a revolutionary dental system that enables your dentist to design, fabricate, and fit a new crown, veneer, onlay, or inlay in a single visit. You don’t have to use temporary restorations. The final results are much better than a normal crown fixing process.

Invisalign is a modern and hugely successful approach to straightening teeth. The system uses a series of custom-made aligners created specifically for you. The aligners are made of virtually invisible plastic which can be worn over your teeth. These are tray-like arrangements and are smooth and comfortable to use.

When your dentist fits these aligners on your teeth, the effort is to align your teeth into that perfect position your dentist or orthodontist has planned for you. The biggest relief for patients is that there are no metal braces or wires attached to your teeth.

Simple and Convenient Way to Set Your Teeth Right

The process of fitting aligners is simple, quick, and convenient. You simply have to visit your dentist approximately every two weeks, get the aligners changed, and wait for the teeth to fall into position. The treatment can be completed within six months to one year. The best part is most people will not even notice you are getting a dental treatment.

Tampa Invisalign is not provided by all dentists. It is a specialty dental care which requires lots of training, experience, and expertise to do it perfectly. Invisalign is an important medical and financial decision and that’s precisely why you must choose the right doctor to get the results you desire. Your dentist or orthodontist must have received proper Invisalign training and must be able to evaluate your needs accurately and suggest the right treatment.

Your dentist will discuss a lot of things about your oral cavity during the initial consultation to determine if you are a good candidate to receive Invisalign treatment. This cosmetic dentistry process can address many types of dental problems; from truly simple to more complex ones. You must also ask your dentist about everything you need to know about the process, so that you are confident and completely ready for the treatment.

Get a Virtual Representation of How Your Teeth Will Look

Your doctor will take X-rays and impressions of your teeth which will be used to create a digital 3-D image of them. The study of this image will help your doctor create a precise treatment plan, determine the exact movement of your teeth, and choose the type of aligners needed to get the best results. The dentist will even be able to show you a virtual picture of how your teeth will move at every stage of the treatment.

The custom-made aligners are created, based on the individual’s treatment plan. The aligners are comfortable to use since they are made of high-grade plastic. These won’t hurt or bruise your cheeks and gums like the conventional metal braces. You simply wear them throughout the day, remove them when you want to eat, brush, or floss and put them back again. As you wear a new set of aligners your dentist will custom make for your every two weeks or so, your teeth will gently and gradually move into position.

It is important to get the treatment done by a trained dentist who practices cosmetic dentistry and is aware of the various modern dental processes like veneers, porcelain crowns, dental implants, CEREC, and teeth whitening. An experienced cosmetic dentist will help you get the best results, conveniently and affordably.

Under normal conditions, any cosmetic dental procedure can take at least two weeks to get completed, if not more. Advanced dental procedures like getting a new crown or cap fitted, veneer fitting, or using inlay or outlay can make your teeth look good and new, but these are time-consuming processes. The cost and time needed to complete these dental procedures depends on the condition of your oral cavity and the kind of look you desire for your teeth.

CEREC – A Revolutionary Dental Technology

Dentists are known for using innovative methods of dental treatment to provide advanced dental care to their clients. CEREC Tampa is one such procedure which has transformed the field of cosmetic dentistry. CEREC is a revolutionary system that enables your Tampa dentist to design, fabricate, and fit a new crown, veneer, outlay, or inlay, all in a single visit. The technology is the brainchild of Sirona Dental Systems, UK.

A dentist in Tampa, using CEREC technology will not use the usual dental ‘putty’ to take an impression of your tooth. Instead, a digital image is taken using a special camera which is later converted into a 3-D computerized model. This three dimensional model is used as a guide to design your new restored teeth.

A Perfectly-Shaped Brand New Tooth Ready in Minutes

The details of this 3-D model are sent to an onsite milling machine, which fabricates a new tooth from a high quality ceramic block. The milling process is high-tech and completely controlled by advanced computers. The new tooth can be ready in as little as six minutes to 30 minutes depending on the technology used and the complexity of the tooth designing process.

The high quality ceramic blocks are available in a wide variety of colors and shades. The block selected to create your tooth will be chosen to match your surrounding teeth. The dentist may even stain and characterize it to match your existing teeth so that it merges with the rest. The tooth is either polished or glazed in a special furnace. The new restoration is then cemented into place on your existing tooth, which is suitably prepared to receive the new tooth.

The Benefits of CEREC

There are numerous benefits of using CEREC technology over conventional restoration methods created in a dentist’s laboratory. The biggest advantage is that everything is carried out in a single visit. Patients are required to visit the dentist once, instead of having to take two to three days leave from work. They need only a single local anesthetic injection. Normally, they would have to take those painful injections on every visit.

The design and fabrication of the crown or veneer is completely controlled by the dentist. No part of the fabrication and designing process is outsourced to any external agency. This gives your Tampa dentist total control over the entire process, resulting in perfect fit and best results.

Another huge advantage of using CEREC is that you are spared the inconvenience of using temporary restorations. Laboratory made veneers and crowns require use of temporary fittings till the original product is designed, fabricated, and ready for use. This can create problems for the user. This critical step is omitted with CEREC restorations.

Dentists recommend dental implants as the preferred solution for replacing missing teeth and there are very good reasons for this. Unlike the traditional removable dentures that directly sit on the gum or bridges to fill the gap using the adjacent teeth as support, dental implants offer a long term resolution.  This involves embedding an artificial tooth root into the jaw over which the replacement tooth is placed.

It is normal to lose a tooth for a number of reasons such as tooth decay, a root canal that did not work out, an accident or even gum disease. The standard option offered used to be a fixed bridge or a removable denture to help the patient eat and speak comfortably.  Unfortunately, these are not without their problems.

Removable dentures can also be uncomfortable and often embarrassing, getting in the way while eating and speaking. In fact, if the bridges are fixed, they can even affect the health of the neighboring teeth. Removable dentures are known to cause bone loss in the space left by missing teeth. Invariably, bridgework carries the risk of decay, gum disease and other common issues, requiring periodical replacement.

A better solution

If you are missing a permanent tooth or teeth, you have a better option today in the form of dental implants in Tampa. Rather than directly rest on the gum line like removable dentures, these are artificial tooth roots made of titanium metal placed in the jawbone. The benefits are:

• No more embarrassing noises due to slipping dentures that broadcast your false teeth
• No chances of decay
• No bone loss since the post is in the jaw bone
• Lasts a lifetime if you follow the instructions to take care of it
• No need to cut or reshape healthy teeth to fix it
• No replacement costs
• No damage to adjacent teeth
• Suitable even if you are missing more than one tooth in the mouth
• Offers stable support preventing slipping and bone loss
• The replacement has the appearance of natural teeth
• Better quality of life and more comfortable

Ideally, those in good health – general and oral – are considered the best candidates for this.  You can be of any age. However, children are exceptions, as their jaws are still in the growth phase. The procedure has been successfully performed even in people with various health conditions such as:

• Those with preexisting medical problems and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes
• Gum disease and damaged teeth
• Those wearing dentures
• Smokers
• Those with bone loss

Once the decision to undergo this treatment is made, a complete evaluation follows in the form of a detailed examination, X-Rays and consultation. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon then places the posts in the patient’s jaw. The implanted posts may be inside the bone or on the bone, depending on the patient’s oral condition.

After these settle and stabilize, the restorative dentist takes over to take an impression of both jaws so that a model for the crowns can be made. Together, the entire team ensures that the treatment is completed and schedules follow up visits to track the progress of the patient.

Oral health is critical to general health. Each aspect of oral health care is handled by a medical professional who specializes in a certain branch of dentistry.  To ensure that your gums teeth and mouth receive the necessary attention, you must know your options and what you can expect from different oral health care professionals.  Here is a brief description to help you see the right one for your needs:

• A General Dentist takes care of overall oral health care needs by diagnosing, treating and managing gum care, root canals, tooth fillings, restorative work and preventive care.
• Endodontists are specialists whose expertise is in the cause, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases or injuries concerned with the individual’s dental pulp, the tooth’s nerve. This may involve surgical procedures and root canal treatment
• Oral medicine is a specialized area that helps patients who have severe health issues manage their dental treatment with medicine as well as oral health care. This involves the identification and treatment of oral diseases like cancer.
• Orthodontists specialize in diagnosing, preventing and treating bite problems of the teeth and its surrounding parts. They treat crowding, missing or extra teeth that may not be aligned properly. They help adults and children straighten teeth using braces, wires and other appliances.
• Periodontists diagnose, treat and prevent diseases pertaining to the gums and bones in the mouth. They treat inflammation of the gums and gum diseases by performing a number of intricate procedures.
• Pediatric Dentists, also called Pedodontists treat dental problems of young children through early adulthood. They identify, treat decayed, crowded, missing or crooked teeth. They specialize in treating children’s developing teeth, behavior issues, physical growth and development and other special needs related with children.
• Prosthodontists specialize in repairing natural teeth or replacing missing teeth using dentures, caps and crowns and dental implants. They also treat head and neck deformities by using prostethic parts to replace the missing structures.
• The oral and maxillofacial radiologist specializes in taking and interpreting diagnostic imaging such as X-Rays, ultrasound scans, CT scans and MRIs used in the diagnosis and management of diseases and conditions of the mouth and surrounding area.
• The oral and maxillofacial surgeon performs surgical procedures in and around the face, mouth and jaw region. They usually treat those who have suffered accidents and have severe facial injuries by offering reconstructive surgery. This includes dental implants. Besides this, they also treat cysts and tumors in the jaw. Their surgical activity includes simple and complex tooth extractions, wisdom tooth removal, tissue biopsies, tumor treatment, jaw realignment surgery and repairing facial fractures. This specialty of Dentistry in Tampa also corrects bite problems and cleft palates.
• Oral pathologists study oral diseases, their causes and their effect on the teeth, lips, cheeks and jaws, face and neck. They also diagnose biopsies, tissues and lesions.

As you can see, dental care in Tampa is a combined effort involving a large group of qualified oral health care professionals. Whom should you see? That depends on your specific problem. For a free initial consultation and to make the right treatment plan for you, how about scheduling an appointment today?