We wonder if Pierre Fauchard would recognize a modern dental office if he were still alive today. Fauchard is considered the “father of modern dentistry,” but he died in 1761. Many of the techniques and tools that we use today had not been invented during Fauchard’s lifetime. X-rays had not been discovered, much less the 3D imaging equipment that we have at Sunrise Dental. However, we want to discuss one particular service that we are sure would impress the good Dr. Fauchard — dental crowns.  Why do we think this would impress him? Because our CEREC dental crowns impress us, too. Our dentists use them for a wide range of reasons at our offices in Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh. Restorative Uses Restorative dentistry is probably where we use dental crowns the most frequently. When you have a single tooth that needs to be repaired, a dental crown is often the best solution. Dental crowns can provide the same function as your natural teeth. They are made of strong materials so they can last for decades, and the ceramics used in modern crowns are near perfect matches for natural teeth. If your tooth has been damaged in some way, a dental crown is an excellent way to restore it to its original shape. Your tooth might be broken or chipped as a result of an accident or because you bit into something that was a little too hard to handle. You also may have a tooth that has become worn down as a result of habitual behaviors like using your teeth to open things, biting your fingernails, or chewing on ice. Dental crowns are also a good way to repair teeth that have been damaged by decay. Dental crowns may be the only option if your cavity is large. Since dental fillings will need to be replaced from time to time, you may reach a point after multiple replacements when a dental crown is a better long-term option. So how do you get a dental crown? As long as most of your tooth is relatively healthy, we will start by removing the outer portion of your natural crown. What remains will be shaped into an abutment, which is where the dental crown will be bonded to your tooth. Since we have CEREC milling machine at our Raleigh office, we can design your crown ourselves. This allows us to complete your crown in a single visit at our Raleigh office instead of waiting weeks or months to get your crown back from a dental lab. When your dental crown is bonded in place, your smile and your chewing ability will be as good as they have ever been. Cosmetic Uses Dental crowns may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of cosmetic dentistry. You may even be wondering how crowns fit in with things like teeth whitening, veneers, and orthodontic care. Well, sometimes you don’t need to change all your teeth. Sometimes just one or two teeth are creating issues with your smile. A single tooth may look dark or yellow, which can make it stand out from the rest of your teeth. By following a process similar to what we described above, you can get a crown that more closely matches the rest of your teeth. Another cosmetic reason you may consider a dental crown is the shape and size of your teeth. Sometimes teeth don’t erupt fully, which can cause them to look small compared to other teeth. It’s possible that you have a tooth that is misshapen in some way and just doesn’t look like it goes with your smile. A dental crown can give you a new “tooth” that fits in better with the rest of your teeth. Replacement Uses When you lose any teeth, we strongly recommend that you replace them as soon as possible. When you lose a single tooth, the simplest way to do that is with a dental implant and a dental crown. The dental implant can be placed in your jaw to replace the root of your missing tooth. Every dental implant has an abutment on its exposed end, this is a perfect place for a dental crown. When used together, you have a whole tooth replacement. What Can A Dental Crown Do For You? We hope you have seen that dental crowns can do a lot of things. If you would like to find out if a dental crown could help you, just make an appointment at any Sunrise Dental. We have four locations in the Triangle area — Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh — and our dentists would be happy to help you, whether that is with a dental crown or one of our other services.