Dental Crowns in Midtown Manhattan

When a crown can help

A crown is usually the right repair when a tooth is too damaged for a filling but still worth saving. Dr. Avner may suggest one if you have:

• a large cavity, or an old filling that takes up much of the tooth
• a cracked tooth, or a broken cusp on a back tooth
• teeth worn down by grinding or clenching
• a back tooth that has had root canal treatment and needs protection from breaking
• a tooth that is badly discolored or misshapen, when a more conservative option won't work
• a dental implant that needs a tooth on top

Crowns also anchor a traditional dental bridge on the teeth beside a gap.

A crown is a good option when the tooth has a healthy root, healthy gums around it and enough structure left to hold it. Dr. Avner believes in conservative dentistry, so we first check whether a filling or a smaller restoration would be enough. If the tooth can't be restored, he will explain other options.

What a dental crown is

A crown covers the whole visible part of a tooth, down to about the gumline. It restores the tooth's shape and size and holds what is left of the tooth together. Once it is cemented or bonded in place, you can't take it out, and you brush and floss around it like a natural tooth.

Crowns are made from several kinds of material, each with trade-offs:

• All-ceramic or porcelain. These can be matched closely to the color of your teeth, so they are a common choice where appearance matters.
• Porcelain fused to metal. A metal inner layer adds strength, and a tooth-colored outer layer covers it.
• Metal alloys, such as gold. These are very strong and need less of the tooth removed, but they don't look like natural teeth.

The right material depends on where the tooth is, how much of it remains, how hard you bite and how much its appearance matters to you. A crown on an implant looks and works the same way above the gum, but it is attached to the implant instead of a natural tooth.

Benefits and what to expect

A crown can:

• protect a cracked or weakened tooth from breaking further
• let you chew comfortably on that side again
• restore the tooth's shape and, with tooth-colored materials, its appearance
• help you keep a natural tooth that might otherwise need to be removed

The work happens in two stages: preparing the tooth, then placing the final crown. After each stage, the tooth may be sensitive to hot or cold for a few days. If your bite feels high once the numbness wears off, call us; a small adjustment usually takes care of it.

Results vary, and what is realistic for your tooth can only be judged after an examination.

How getting a crown works, step by step

1. Exam and X-rays. Dr. Avner examines the tooth, takes X-rays and checks the root, the gum and your bite. If the nerve is infected or inflamed, the tooth may need a root canal before the crown.
2. Treatment plan. We talk through your options, including whether a smaller restoration would do, which material suits the tooth, and the fee.
3. Preparing the tooth. After numbing the area, we remove any decay or failing filling, rebuild the core of the tooth if too little remains, and shape it so the crown can fit over it.
4. Impression and shade. We record the exact shape of the prepared tooth and its neighbors and choose a shade that blends with the teeth around it.
5. Temporary crown. If you need to wait for the final crown, a temporary one protects the tooth in the meantime. Avoid sticky and very hard foods on that side while you wear it.
6. Fitting the final crown. We check the fit at the edges, the contact with neighboring teeth, your bite and the color, then cement or bond the crown in place.

After that, brush twice a day, clean between your teeth daily and keep up with regular checkups and cleanings so we can keep an eye on the crown.