Porcelain Crowns

A crown is a permanent covering that fits over an original tooth that is either decayed, damaged or cracked. Crowns are made of a variety of different materials such as porcelain, gold, acrylic resin or a mix of these materials. Porcelain generally has the most natural appearance, although it is often less durable.

The treatment plan for a patient receiving a crown involves:
  1. Numbing the tooth to remove the decay in or around it.
  2. Re-sculpturing the tooth to provide an ideal fit for the crown.
  3. Making an impression of your teeth in order to create a custom-made crown.
  4. Making a temporary crown out of acrylic resin and fitting it onto the tooth during the interim period when the permanent custom-made crown is being created.
  5. Applying the permanent crown (when received from the lab) by removing the temporary crown and fitting the permanent one onto the tooth.
  6. After ensuring that the crown has the proper look and fit, the dentist cements it into place.
This process generally consists of a minimum of 2-3 visits over a three to four week period.

Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy, bacteria-free teeth, gums and crowns. This helps in the prevention of gum disease. Given proper care, your crowns can last a lifetime.

Gold Fillings and Conservative Crowns

Does it sound impossible to have cosmetic dentistry with 18K gold fillings called inlays and invisible onlays?

The incredible results will amaze you and when designed correctly will be invisible when you smile. This time tested technique requires dentists to have special training that can allow an option for patients to receive restorations that can often last a lifetime. All other filling options will need to be replaced several times over our lifetime. This is not for everyone, but does provide dramatic advantages for people that want to spend less time in the dental chair and allow for the greatest tooth strength.

Testimonial:
"A few years ago I was extremely nervous when confronted with long-term treatment front tooth. The color of the porcelain was critical due to the front and center location. Dr. Zarrella was a perfectionist in obtaining the exact match – he sent the first three crowns back to the lab to be reworked. As a result of Dr. Zarrella’s patience and perseverance, today I have trouble remembering which of my front teeth is indeed the crown! I have complete confidence in Dr. Zarrella’s expertise and wholeheartedly recommend him to any family looking for a dentist." -- Susan