Crowns & Veneers
What would you like to change about your teeth? You might have damage or wear, which can cause sensitivity or other discomforts. Or you might have teeth that don’t seem to match the rest and create an esthetic challenge.
Whatever the problem, we have a solution.
At Wahlers Family Dentistry, we can provide you with high-quality dental restorations, custom made for you, from labs we trust. We only use labs located here in the United States, and we choose the highest quality materials because we know how important it is for your dentistry to be both durable and attractive.
Dental Crowns
Crowns are designed to fit right over the top of your existing tooth. You may have also heard them referred to as “caps.” We can use crowns to:
- Repair damage like cracks or fractures
- Build up a tooth that is overly worn down
- Restore balance to a misaligned bite
- Protect a tooth that is weakened by a large filling or root canal therapy
- Replace a tooth as part of a dental implant or bridge
- Improve the appearance of a tooth that is discolored or unusually shaped
The versatility of crowns makes them one of the most common restorations we use at our practice.
Getting a crown usually takes two appointments. At your first appointment, we will prepare the tooth for the crown and take photos, x-rays, and impressions. All of this information, along with our specific instructions, will be sent to the lab where professional lab technicians will craft your crown. We will fit you with a temporary crown to protect the prepared tooth.
Once your crown is back from the lab, you’ll return to our office. We’ll remove the temporary crown and check the fit and appearance of the permanent crown before bonding it into place.
With good home care routines and regular check-ups at our office, your crown can last for decades.
Veneers
Veneers are used to correct esthetic issues and are often the secret behind a celebrity’s flawless smile. You don’t have to be a celebrity to enjoy the benefits of veneers, however!
We use veneers to:
- Whiten discolored teeth that are resistant to professional whitening
- Lengthen teeth that are short
- Close gaps between teeth
- Provide a more uniform shape to teeth
- Correct misalignments
The process for getting veneers is similar to that for crowns. We’ll prepare your teeth, place temporary veneers, and send images, impressions, and instructions to the lab. When your veneers are complete, we’ll check their appearance and fit, and then bond them in place.
Protect your investment and increase the life of your veneers by practicing good home hygiene and see us for regular check-ups and cleanings.
Call for Your Consultation
Call our office today to schedule an evaluation or cosmetic consultation with Dr. Christopher Wahlers. He’ll discuss your goals with you and recommend an appropriate treatment plan to help you reach them.
Frequently Asked Questions
A crown (also known as a cap) is a cover that is placed over a tooth. It restores the tooth to a more ideal shape or size, and can improve its function and strength. Additionally, crowns can improve the esthetics of a tooth, especially if it is a front tooth. Typically crowns are made of porcelain, metal, or a combination of the two materials, with the porcelain coating the outside of the metal.
Veneers are similar to crowns, but do not cover the tooth on all surfaces. Typically, a veneer will be bonded to the front (visible surface) of a tooth, but commonly wraps very slightly over the edge of a front tooth, and extends in between the teeth so that its margins (edges) are not showing. Veneers are almost universally made to improve esthetics, but also can be used to treat chipped or worn teeth. They are always made from a type of porcelain to mimic the esthetics of enamel.
Since crowns and veneers perform similar functions, are often made of the same materials, and can be cemented with the same types of cements, they are typically very comparable in cost and in the length of the appointment time needed. In my office, I use both options, depending on many factors. In reality, though, there is often little difference between the two options, especially if the veneers are the type which wrap around the sides and edges. Both are wonderful options to restore or create an amazing smile.
Even the best made dental crowns (caps) do not last forever. Sometimes cavities form at their margins, and sometimes they can come loose, either from decay or cement washout. A loose crown will often have a telltale taste or odor coming from it- a result of food debris getting stuck underneath. Sometimes the crown will simply get pulled out by a sticky piece of food. Always call for an appointment as soon as you notice a loose crown, or if the crown has fallen out. If the tooth is intact and healthy, we can often clean the inside of the crown, and simply cement it back in.
If too much time goes by with a loose crown, decay can set in due to food debris getting under the loose crown and damaging the underlying tooth. Or if the crown has come out and too much time goes by before the dental appointment is made, the adjacent teeth can shift ever so slightly, and the crown may not fit anymore. We can typically see you within a few days (many times the same day) whenever you have a dental issue.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Christopher Wahlers
Dr. Wahlers was born and raised in central New Jersey. He attended Gettysburg College for his undergraduate studies, where he majored in biology, graduating summa cum laude. During his undergraduate volunteer experiences in different medical settings, Christopher decided to pursue a career in dentistry.
During his time at New Jersey Dental School (Rutgers University), Christopher served as president of his class and graduated in 2003 as a member of the OKU National Dental Honor Society. He continued his education with an Advanced Dental Education residency program at Temple University.
Prior to Wahlers ...