Dental Crowns in Encinitas, CA

A cracked or broken tooth can cause pain and concerns. A damaged tooth is less likely to withstand the force from chewing, and that is where you could run into problems with tooth loss. Dr. Ryan Kay knows it is important to keep your natural teeth whenever possible, and he may recommend a dental crown to stabilize and protect your damaged tooth. 

What Is a Ceramic Dental Crown?

Over time, your teeth sustain damage from chewing, grinding, or clenching. Sometimes biting into something hard causes damage, but more often than not, normal wear and tear can compromise the structure of your tooth. When patients call us with a broken tooth and report biting into something relatively soft like a bagel, chances are good that your tooth already had a crack.

We look for damage like this at each of your preventive dental appointments so that you can avoid a dental emergency in the future. We can also look for symptoms of grinding, like excessive wear, and can prescribe a nightguard to prevent damage if this is a concern. 

Dental crowns, also known as caps, fit on top of your existing tooth structure to provide protection and support. They completely cover your tooth from the chewing surface to the gumline and strengthen your tooth. Dental crowns can come in a wide variety of materials. At Dr. Ryan Kay's office, we feature ceramic crowns that are both strong and attractive so your smile can look as great as it feels. 

How Do You Place Dental Crowns? 

We have performed thousands of successful dental crown procedures at our Encinitas dental office. The procedure involves removing any decay or damaged tooth structure so that what remains is your healthy tooth. In some cases, we may need to place a “core buildup.” A core buildup is essentially the building up of the structure of your remaining tooth in order to support your dental crown more effectively.

At our office, we take advantage of our 3M True Definition Scanner to obtain accurate digital impressions of your tooth. This allows for more precision in the creation of your ceramic crown. A perfect fit means a longer lasting, more comfortable restoration.

Ryan Kay DMD will make sure your crown matches your smile so that it looks completely natural. He will make any necessary adjustments to your final restoration and permanently bond it to your tooth. 

What Are the Consequences of Non-Treatment? 

Your treatment is always your decision, but we want you to know that failure to treat your cracked or broken tooth may result in the need for a root canal or even cause tooth loss due to continued damage. Once your tooth has a crack, it’s just not as strong anymore.

Do You Have a Cracked Tooth?

Give us a call, we can provide you with all of your treatment options so you can make a decision that supports your dental health and wellness.

We look forward to hearing from you.