Dental Crowns

Q: Why do I need to get a dental crown and will it be painful?

A: A dental crown is a restoration that completely covers or caps a tooth, in order to bring it back to its natural size, shape and colour. The dental crown protects the tooth from
further damage and can be made to be look like your natural tooth.

There are various reasons to get a crown, they include the following:

• A cavity that is too large for a filling
• To cover a dental implant that has been placed
• A cracked or worn down tooth
• To protect a tooth that is treated with root canal treatment
• To improve your smile by covering a discoloured or badly shaped tooth

When preparing the dental crown, approximately 1mm of your existing tooth structure will be removed to make way for the core (foundation of crown). A dental impression is then made for the final crown to be fabricated. During then, a temporary crown may be placed so that you have a complete smile. This entire procedure is done under local anaesthesia so that the tooth being restored is numb. Sensitivity might be felt around the tooth, nonetheless, it should go away as time passes and pain is generally minimal.

 Dr Tan Kian Meng is a Dental Specialist in Prosthodontics with Specialist Dental Group®. He is also a Clinical Lecturer at the National University of Singapore and Diplomate with the American Board of Prosthodontics. He was formerly a Consultant at Singapore’s Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Fellow of Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Oncologic Dentistry Fellowship at the University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Center. Dr Tan has special interest in prosthetic and implant restorative dentistry. 
 
www.specialistdentalgroup.com | 6733 7883



 Specialist Dental Group® is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS).
CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services.