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Dental Crowns

Steven H. Chang, DDS

Family Dentists & General Dentists located in Monterey, CA

Injury, decay, and normal wear and tear can damage your teeth. To restore the full shape and size of your teeth, Steven H. Chang, DDS, and his team offer dental crowns at their office in Monterey, California. Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps that can rehabilitate your damaged teeth, improving their strength and functionality. To find out if dental crowns are right for you, call the office of Steven H. Chang, DDS, or schedule an appointment online today.

Dental Crowns Q & A

What are dental crowns?

Dental crowns are custom-made caps that mold to the exact shape of your teeth. They fit over your damaged teeth to restore their shape, size, or color. Crowns can be made from many different materials. 

Dr. Chang and his team offer porcelain crowns, which are stain-resistant. These crowns work well for the front of your mouth, where the force of your bite isn’t as strong.

The team also provides gold and zirconia crowns. Gold and zirconia are both extremely strong and durable materials that work well in the back of the mouth. 

If you have damage on the cusp or biting surface of your tooth, an onlay is a partial crown that can restore its shape and size.

What can dental crowns treat?

Dr. Chang and his team may recommend dental crowns if you have:

  • Cracked or broken teeth
  • Severe tooth decay
  • Yellow teeth or tooth discoloration
  • Weak teeth
  • Teeth worn down from grinding
  • Large fillings
  • Broken fillings
  • Misshapen teeth

If you’ve recently undergone root canal therapy, a dental crown can help protect your tooth from further infection. The team may also place crowns to dental implants after surgery to complete tooth restoration.

What does getting dental crowns involve?

Crowns typically take two appointments to place, but Dr. Chang and his team also have an on-site milling machine to create same-day crowns.

At your first appointment, the team examines and prepares your teeth. Preparation for crowns typically involves minor filing and reshaping to make room for the crown. The team uses the VersaWave™ laser, so there’s no drilling involved in your crown treatment. Next, they take impressions of your teeth to create your custom molds.

If you opt for a traditional two-visit crown, Dr. Chang and his team send your impressions off to an outside lab for creation. 

Traditional crowns typically take 2-3 weeks to make, so the team fits you for a temporary crown. When you return to the office, they replace the temporary crown with your custom restoration.

Once the crown looks perfect and fits comfortably, Dr. Chang and his team cement it in place to restore your smile.

To learn more about dental crowns, call the office of Steven H. Chang, DDS, or schedule an appointment online today.