Custom Dental Crowns

If you live in the Tampa Bay and Clearwater areas of Florida and have dental needs, keep in mind that Dr. Toan Tran is an expert in crowns and bridgework. Dr. Tran restores worn, decayed, and fractured teeth with exquisite dental crowns for hundreds of patients each year in his beautiful Oldsmar office. Each long-lasting crown is custom made by one of our preferred dental ceramists, according to Dr. Tran’s instructions, for fine fit, function, and appearance in your smile.

If you’ve never had a dental crown, you may be wondering what a crown is. A dental crown is a prosthetic covering (cap) that fully covers a tooth, extending all the way down its sides to the gum line. Crowns are used to restore teeth to strength and beauty, and they also can be used to anchor a dental bridge if you have lost a tooth. The advanced materials and exact fit of today’s crowns ensure your crowned teeth will look, feel and function like natural ones.

Dr. Tran can use a crown to restore or cosmetically improve a tooth that has:

  • had root canal therapy,
  • been fractured or broken,
  • suffered extensive dental decay,
  • become weakened by a large or cracked filling,
  • become excessively worn, or
  • suffered severe enamel staining or intrinsic discoloration.

He can also modify an irregular size or shape tooth so you can have improved function and aesthetics.

When It Comes to Tooth-Colored Crowns, There Are Options

Tooth-colored crowns are typically made of porcelain or porcelain over metal, but crowns can be made today of Space Age strength white zirconia. Dr. Tran offers a full range of restorative materials. He will fully inform you about your options and help you decide which choice is right for your circumstances based on the strength needed, appearance, and cost. He will recommend materials that provide long-lasting results. There are four types of tooth-colored crowns.

  • All-porcelain crowns have the most natural appearance but have limited strength compared to the following options.
  • Porcelain-fused-on-metal (PFM) crowns provide more strength and a very natural appearance.
  • Porcelain-fused-on-zirconia crowns provide a natural appearance and even greater strength. Porcelain-fused-on-zirconia crowns are a popular choice for longevity plus aesthetics. Zirconia is slightly translucent so when it is used for the core of a crown, the crown has more lifelike sparkle than a metal core. A zirconia core costs a little more than a metal core.
  • All-zirconia crowns are the optimal choice when the need for strength outweighs the desire for the more life-like appearance of porcelain.

Both porcelain and zirconia are available in a wide range of colors. Working closely with one of our expert dental ceramists, Dr. Tran will select the color of porcelain or zirconia that most resembles your natural teeth. Depending on your aesthetic goals, he may recommend teeth whitening before selecting the color your crown will be. This way, your restored tooth will match your preferred shade of white on surrounding teeth.

Tooth-colored dental crowns do not become stained like natural tooth enamel. Despite this, you will still need to diligently brush and floss your crowned teeth, to keep dental plaque from developing. If a bacterial inflammation were to advance in the surrounding gum tissue, damage could occur to the periodontal gum and bone tissue, dental decay could occur at the base of the crown—and if the tooth did not have root canal therapy prior to be in crowned, a painful infection could develop under the crown. These are all good reasons to brush at least twice daily with the last brushing before going to sleep at night, to floss each morning and night before bed, and to have regular prophylactic dental cleanings or periodontal maintenance therapy in our dental office.

The Crown Procedure

Dr. Tran will help you select an appropriate type of crown. He will reshape your tooth, removing any decayed or damaged material. This process will also create room for the crown so that it will lie flat against your tooth and maintain the natural force of your bite. We will apply a topical numbing gel to your gum tissue, and when you are numb, he will gently deliver a necessary local anesthetic so you will be comfortable while he is preparing your tooth.

After reshaping your tooth, impressions will be made of your mouth, and Dr. Tran will quickly create a temporary crown of tooth-colored acrylic while you wait. This provisional crown will be placed on the prepared tooth before you go home so you can smile and eat with ease while you wait for your custom crown.

At your next appointment, Dr. Tran will remove the temporary crown and bond or cement your permanent crown in place. Before you leave the office, he will ensure you have a comfortable bite and are happy with the appearance of your new tooth. He can make slight modifications in the form of the crown before you leave the office. If you experience discomfort in the tooth, in the gum tissue around the crown, or even in your chewing muscles during the days that follow crown placement, we ask you to please call Mangrove Bay Dentistry to schedule a complimentary evaluation and adjustment.

Dr. Tran has had extensive training and experience in root canal therapy. Should you need root canal treatment, he can treat the root canal, prepare your tooth for a crown, and provide a temporary crown all in a single appointment—and all in the comfort of our one location.

Note: Although a crown typically goes on top of a damaged tooth, a crown also can be put on top of a dental implant. If you have lost a tooth or will soon lose it, an implant-supported crown may be recommended.

Have You Been Told You Need a Crown, or Think You Need One?

If you live in the Tampa Bay or Clearwater area and have a painful tooth, or think you might need a crown, reach out to us today at 813-891-9898.