Extensively decayed or cracked teeth can be saved with lifelike porcelain crowns. Made from high-quality, tooth-colored ceramic, porcelain crowns from Dr. Wynn Okuda in Honolulu, HI, cover and protect teeth, allowing you to have a strong, attractive smile indefinitely. Learn here how crowns work.

The dental crown

It's really a jacket or cap custom-made according to your dentist's specific directions and your unique oral impressions. Crowns bite together accurately with the opposite arch of teeth. Dr. Okuda uses them to:

• Finish dental implants, the best tooth replacement available today
• Support and protect teeth which have multiple fillings
• Attach fixed bridgework to adjoining natural teeth
• Repair teeth which have suffered oral injury and are cracked, chipped or discolored
• Normalize the size and shape of teeth which are congenitally malformed (such as peg-shaped lateral incisors) or teeth which have very thin or pitted enamel (a condition called enamel hypoplasia, reports Healthline)

The crown treatment
 
Dr. Okuda in Honolulu, HI, determines if your tooth would benefit from a porcelain crown by examining it and the surrounding gum tissue. He'll also X-ray it to see if the interior pulp is viable and if the roots and surrounding bone are healthy. Some teeth require endodontic therapy--a root canal--to remove inflamed pulp before the tooth can receive its realistic restoration.

If a crown is appropriate, Dr. Okuda will numb the tooth and remove the damaged portions with a high speed drill and other tools. He'll shape and size the tooth so it can accept the crown. He places a temporary cap over the tooth to support it while the permanent one is custom-crafted at the dental lab.

When you return to the office, he'll take off the temporary restoration and use a strong adhesive to bond the new crown over your tooth. Today's crowns fit precisely and blend in exceptionally well with neighboring teeth. Unlike porcelain fused to metal crowns, all-ceramic crowns look very natural, having no dark areas near the gum line to detract from your smile aesthetics.

Making a crown last
Thankfully, crowns do not decay, and they are highly stain-resistant. However, they can chip or become dislodged if you eat very sticky or hard foods, such as candy apples, or if you grind your teeth. In other words, your crown will last longer if you treat it gently and:

• Brush twice a day with a soft brush and non-abrasive toothpaste
• Floss daily
• Get your routine examinations and cleanings with Dr. Okuda

These good oral hygiene habits also prevent periodontal disease at crown margins where plaque and tartar may collect.

Come see us
 
We'll tell you all about porcelain crowns and if one is right for you. Call Dr. Wynn Okuda's dental office in Honolulu, HI, for a free smile consultation with one of the country's most recognized dental experts at (808) 734-1099.

One question I have heard a lot lately from my new patients…. “Is a veneer as strong as a crown?” It reminded me why porcelain veneers were created. Porcelain veneers were created to provide patients with a conservative alternative to fully crowning teeth. However, the public started hearing about the esthetic benefits of porcelain veneers with a well publicized television program called “Extreme Makeover”.  I utilize porcelain veneers in my practice to provide my patients with a conservative option of using a porcelain veneer versus a porcelain crown.  When preparing a tooth for a veneer, we prepare the front and sides of the tooth and the back remains your own natural tooth.  For patients that have old fillings, or grind their teeth, this is a very conservative solution to reinforce the cracks that occur in teeth overtime, and give you back the length you have lost. 

As a bonus, with the latest and greatest porcelain veneers we can change the shape, size, position, and color to compliment your natural skin tones.Patients also ask if veneers are stronger than crowns.  Based on my experience I have found porcelain veneers to be stronger for many reasons.  Bonding porcelain to natural tooth enamel is the strongest bond we have currently in dentistry, and with these amazing bonding agents, it allows us to wind the clock back years without having to remove excessive amounts of tooth structure. Maintaining porcelain veneers is simple.  Treat them the exact same way you would treat a natural tooth.  Brush and floss daily as you would your natural teeth, see your dental hygienist at least twice annually for professional teeth cleaning, and if you are a heavy tooth grinder, wear a preventative night guard to protect your teeth while you are sleeping.Cosmetic dentistry is not only a pretty smile, but a strong conservative alternative to porcelain crowns.