A large chip or fracture in one of your teeth can prove to be more than just an inconvenience. In time, the damaged enamel can start to trap bacteria and food particles, causing a new area of tooth decay to form.
Small fractures and chips can sometimes be repaired by a filling. If the fracture compromises a significant amount of tooth enamel, your dentist, Dr. Mark Andrews, might recommend a dental crown in Kirkland, Washington. This will effectively replace all of the tooth enamel with a cap made from porcelain, gold or base metal alloy.
The dentist will numb the area and use a drill to remove all the tooth enamel. This leaves behind an abutment containing the dentin, pulp, and root of the tooth.
Your dentist will then form a detailed impression of the area to serve as a guide at a dental lab where your new crown will be made. At the end of the appointment, a hard, plastic, temporary crown will be secured over the abutment to protect it.
Once the lab technician has completed your crown, we will call you back in to have the temporary crown removed and the new crown cemented into place.
If you have recently fractured a tooth, you should call 425-821-8100 to schedule an appointment at Mark Andrews, D.D.S.1.