Your Guide to Dental Crowns in North Atlanta, GA

Decayed, chipped, or discolored teeth certainly affect your appearance and the confidence you feel when you smile. Even slight damage to teeth can leave a lasting impact, not only on your looks but also on your oral health. Dental restorations like dental crowns can improve your smile and prevent further tooth damage.

Damaged teeth require immediate dental attention, which North Atlanta Family Dentistry can provide. Our cosmetic dentistry services include dental crowns in Georgia. 

What Are Dental Crowns?

A dental crown is a cap that covers a tooth for several reasons. Perhaps your tooth is broken, chipped, or worn down. The crown covers the weakened tooth and restores the tooth’s functionality. 

Dental crowns are effective permanent solutions to dental issues that leave your tooth vulnerable to additional damage, bacteria, infection, or tooth decay. The cap looks like a natural tooth structure, and it completely encapsulates the tooth, so the oral device is usually undetectable when you smile. 

If you’re missing a tooth, our dentists can replace it with a dental implant, which is a small titanium rod surgically implanted into the gums of a missing tooth. Dental crowns cover the posts until the jaw bonds to the metal rod. Crowns function like natural teeth, so there’s no need to worry about eating, drinking, chewing, or speaking. 

Another function of a dental crown is to treat discolored teeth. Though teeth whitening procedures can brighten your teeth by several shades, some discoloration is too stubborn to lift. With dental crowns, you can have beautiful, natural-looking teeth that are one consistent color.  

What Are Common Dental Crown Materials?

When you get dental crowns in Georgia with North Atlanta Family Dentistry, you have several options for the crown material. They each come with advantages and disadvantages, but our team will help you make the best selection for your dental needs. 

Metal Crowns

A metal crown is one consisting entirely of metal. Common alloys include platinum, palladium, nickel, and gold. Metal is the most durable dental crown because the material is virtually indestructible. 

Metal crowns’ ability to resist breaks, chips, and wear makes it an appealing option for people who need a crown to protect a tooth. However, the material doesn’t blend naturally with other teeth, making them incredibly noticeable. Because of their general lack of visual appeal, metal crowns are better suited for molars in the back of the mouth.

Zirconia Crowns

Zirconia offers exceptional strength and durability. Like metal, the material has resistance to damage and daily wear and tear, making them excellent options for back teeth. Zirconia is also a biocompatible material, meaning your body is less likely to produce a reaction, such as inflammation. 

In many cases, we can make zirconia crowns in our office instead of our dental lab. As a result, we can usually fit you with a zirconia dental crown in one appointment. 

Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain crowns fused to metal have a metallic base with a porcelain coating. With a metal base, the cap will have superior strength, and the porcelain creates a pleasing aesthetic. We can match the color of the porcelain to your neighboring teeth, but sometimes a bit of metal can be visible near the gumline.

Pure porcelain crowns offer the best appearance. The material is not as durable as metal, but it is resilient. These dental crowns are so natural-looking, they’re almost undetectable, making them a popular choice. 

What Can You Expect During a Dental Crown Placement Procedure?

It usually takes two visits to our dental office within two weeks to receive a dental crown. The first appointment is for our team to prepare the affected tooth under a local anesthetic, which usually means shaving off a portion of the tooth enamel to make the tooth smaller. The decrease in size ensures that the cap fits comfortably. 

After we prepare the tooth, we will take a mold impression of your mouth and send it to our dental lab. While you wait for your permanent crown, we will fit you with a temporary one to protect the treated tooth. We will insert the crown at your second appointment, assess its fit, and bond it into place. 

Putting off tooth damage can worsen your oral health and facial appearance over time, so it’s best to seek dental assistance as soon as possible. At North Atlanta Family Dentistry, we can address problematic teeth with natural-looking dental crowns in Georgia. Please contact our dentist’s office today at (470) 387-0500 to schedule your appointment.