Dental crowns

Restore your damaged teeth

dental crowns In Long Island City & Queensboro

If you have a tooth that’s been damaged by extensive decay or an oral injury, a dental crown from Dr. Adrian Lau at Boro Dental Arts may be just what you need to restore your smile. Learn more below, or contact us now to schedule your appointment.

What Are dental crowns?

Dental crowns are a type of dental restoration designed to cover up and protect damaged teeth. They are built to look just like a natural tooth, and are permanently bonded to your natural tooth structure after it has been trimmed and prepared by Dr. Lau.
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For all intents and purposes, a dental crown is a “false tooth.” It will bond to your natural tooth and cover up the remaining structure all the way down to the gum line. This protects the tooth from further damage and decay, and restores the natural appearance and function of your smile after your tooth has been damaged.

common problems that dental crowns solve

Dental crowns are usually used to restore teeth that have been compromised by dental trauma or extensive tooth decay or dental trauma that destroys the outer layers of the tooth. 

A crown is ideal for restoring these teeth because any remaining damaged enamel can be removed, and then the crown will cover up and protect the remaining structure.

Less commonly, crowns are used for cosmetic dentistry. For example, if you have a small and misshapen tooth and Dr. Lau does not think it can be treated with a veneer, he may recommend a crown to cover it up and restore your appearance.

The Dental crown Process

To begin the process, Dr. Lau will clean and numb the treatment area. Then, your tooth will be trimmed to remove any remaining decayed or damaged enamel, and it will be sculpted into a strong, stable platform to which your crown can be attached.
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Then, Dr. Lau will take impressions and images of your mouth. This information is required by our partner dental lab to build your crown. Once these impressions have been taken, Dr. Lau will send them to the dental lab, and attach a temporary resin crown to your tooth.

You will come back in about 2-3 weeks when your permanent crown arrives at our office. Then, Dr. Lau will remove the temporary crown, clean the tooth, and bond your permanent tooth in place, completing the procedure.

how to take care of a dental crown

Immediately after you’ve received your permanent crown, you will want to avoid eating very sticky foods like taffy, caramel, and similar foods. This is because the adhesive will still be curing, and the bond with your tooth will not have reached its maximum strength. After 2-3 days, you can eat these foods again.
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Beyond this, just treat your crown like a natural tooth. You should care for it by brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing once per day, and seeing Dr. Lau and the team at Boro Dental Arts for a teeth cleaning and oral exam every 6 months.