The versatility, beauty, ease, and strength of durable dental crowns

At Jepsen, Murphy & Associates Dental, we enjoy treating generations of families from throughout the Westminster, Northglenn, Arvada, Boulder, and Thornton areas of the Colorado Rockies. While it gives us great satisfaction to elevate our patients’ smiles to new heights of beauty with cosmetic dentistry, it is our great privilege to restore the health of our patients’ teeth and gums. Regardless of if these patients are aged eight or 80, we appreciate that when oral health is maintained or regained, it also supports an attractive appearance and self-confidence. 

Dental crowns represent one of the most versatile and time-tested tools available to our professionals to rebuild patients’ teeth. In fact, crowns may be used to rebuild and restore a portion of a broken, decayed, or otherwise damaged tooth, or they may be recommended to rebuild an entire tooth. For the latter option, the crown may be appropriate for patients with teeth unsuitable for root canal therapy or other procedures. These patients may be in rare company; perhaps, their root canal-treated teeth never healed properly. In these situations, teeth must be extracted and promptly replaced to support health and function and to prevent destructive bone loss.

The process

All treatments at our office start with a thorough examination. If one of our doctors determines that you are a good candidate for a dental crown, we will discuss options to make your crown. Materials range from metals (like gold) to ceramics (like porcelain). Some crowns are a combination of both types of materials; for instance, a porcelain shell may wrap around a metal core.

Porcelain is primarily lauded for both its strength and durability, as well as its natural appearance. When in our skilled hands, dental porcelain perfectly mimics the aesthetics of natural tooth enamel. No unsightly and unnatural-looking silver here! Additionally, dental ceramics “get along well” with natural oral tissues and are even appropriate for patients with sensitivities to metals. They also resist wear and tear. Porcelain crowns last for many years when cared for properly at home and at our office.

After the crown has been made, we can secure it to the natural tooth. The natural tooth has been prepared or shaped to accept the crown. It can also be attached to an implant as the visible part of the tooth. The implant holds the crown or replacement tooth securely. So, each implant functions like a natural tooth root.

Crowns are also attached to at least one replacement tooth. These crowns, in turn, make up a dental bridge. The bridge is then fused or cemented to the anchor or neighboring teeth. In doing so, the replacement tooth (or teeth) fill in the gaps. As with all other crowns, these anchor teeth must be slightly reduced and shaped. So, the crowns fit over them properly. They can then optimally support the replacement tooth.

Do not wait for sensitivity or other concerns to arise. We can resolve problems conservatively, without restorations, when conditions are detected and treated promptly. Call Jepsen, Murphy & Associates Dental today at (303) 800-6884. For your convenience, you may request an appointment at our Westminster, CO, office any time of day or night. Just visit the “schedule now” tab on this website.