Understanding the Concept of Dental Implants Crowns?
Dental implant crowns are prosthetic restorations that cover dental implants installed in the jawbone. Ideally, when you have lost one or more natural teeth, you can bank on dental implants in Torrance to replace them. However, after getting implants, you have only replaced tooth roots. You need a crown over the implant to gain optimal oral functionality and restore your aesthetics.
The treatment entails customizing a dental crown to fit perfectly over the implant without standing out from the remaining natural teeth. Usually, implant dentists near you customize such crowns in a dental laboratory to achieve an outcome that closely matches natural teeth. Therefore, dental implant crowns are an essential component of implant-supported restorations, especially in restoring functionality and aesthetics of the smile for single missing teeth.
Major Considerations for Dental Implant Crowns
When an implant dentist near you completes the implantation procedure, they must account for the tooth’s exterior. It regards placing a dental crown that properly covers the implants and benefits your smile’s aesthetics. Some of the considerations your dentist makes relating to dental implant crowns are:
- Material: Dental implant crowns typically feature durable and natural-looking materials such as porcelain, zirconia, or a combination of metal and ceramic. These materials are ideal due to their strength, aesthetics, and ability to mimic the appearance of natural teeth. This way, it will be hard for anyone to tell the difference between your natural teeth and dental implants.
- Customization: At Sparkle Family Dentistry, each dental implant crown is custom-made to match the other natural teeth in your mouth. The prosthodontist will usually take impressions and measurements of the implant area to ensure a precise fit and natural-looking result.
- Attachment to the Implant: Dental implant crowns are secured to the dental implant attached to the jawbone. The process relies on an abutment, a connector joining the implant to the crown, providing stability and support.
- Functionality and Aesthetics: Dental implant crowns provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. They should help restore the ability to bite and chew properly while improving overall dental function. Further, the crown is carefully crafted to match the surrounding natural teeth’ shape, size, and color, resulting in a seamless and natural-looking smile.
- Longevity: With proper care and maintenance, dental implant crowns are fashioned to last for many years, often decades.
Crucial Aftercare Tips for Dental Implant Crowns
You must excel in the aftercare tips if you care to keep your dental restoration for several years without retreatment or replacement. Dentists provide specific instructions after dental implants in Old Torrance that will tend to your implants and the crown. They include:
- Maintain good oral hygiene – use the right products and techniques when brushing your teeth at least twice daily. You need a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to gently brush the implant crown and surrounding teeth to remove plaque and food particles. Flossing should also be part of your daily hygiene routine.
- Choose a non-abrasive toothpaste – you must avoid scratching the crown’s surface as it may cause damage and dull its appearance over time.
- Be cautious when eating hard or sticky foods – they usually damage natural teeth, so they can also potentially damage the implant crown. Worse, the sticky foods may dislodge the implant crown. Therefore, dentists advocate against chewing on ice, hard candies, popcorn kernels, and other similar items. Instead, cut hard or tough foods into smaller, bite-sized pieces to minimize stress on the implant crown.
- Mind your oral habits – if you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, also known as bruxism, talk to your dentist about getting a night guard. This habit puts excessive pressure on the implant crown and increases the risk of fractures.
- Visit your dentist periodically for check-ups and professional cleanings – the dentist will monitor the implant crown’s health, assess the surrounding tissues, and address any concerns or issues that may arise.
- Avoid tobacco products, including smoking and chewing tobacco – they affect the health and longevity of your implant crown by increasing the risk of implant failure and compromising the healing process.