Dental Crowns in Pine Beach, NJ
Century Dental East provides dental crowns to help protect certain teeth or restore missing ones. Dr. Mariya Medlenov can custom fit the crown to your other teeth so that when it is embedded, you cannot tell where your natural teeth end and the prosthetic begins! To learn more about dental crowns in Pine Beach, New Jersey, call 732-341-6010 to speak to our dentist!
A dental crown, or cap, is a restoration that can be used for a number of purposes. One of the most common uses of a dental crown is to restore a tooth that is significantly damaged or decayed. The crown is custom made to fit over the entire tooth, starting at the gumline, in order to restore the tooth to its original shape and size. Dental crowns can be made of gold, porcelain or porcelain fused to metal; porcelain crowns are popular because they match the natural color and appearance of your teeth. Our dentist will help you determine which type of dental crown is right for your smile.
Your smile may benefit from a crown if a tooth is damaged or decayed to the point that a dental filling will not provide a successful restoration. Crowns can also be used for a number of other restorative and aesthetic purposes, including to:
- Protect a tooth following root canal treatment
- Anchor and attach a dental bridge
- Cover and complete a dental implant
- Enhance the beauty of your smile
- Improve a misshapen tooth
- Strengthen a tooth that is fractured or weak
- Support a large filling when little natural tooth structure remains
To find out whether a dental crown is right for you, we welcome you to contact us today!
When Dr. Medlenov Recommends a Dental Crown
A crown is usually the answer when a tooth is still sound at the root but no longer strong enough to hold up on its own. These are the situations we see most often at our Pine Beach office.
A cracked or fractured tooth
A crack that runs into the body of a tooth opens a little further every time you bite down. Covering the tooth holds it together and keeps the crack from travelling toward the root.
After a root canal
A treated tooth is saved, but it is also hollowed out and more brittle than it was. A crown placed after root canal treatment protects what remains.
A filling that has outgrown the tooth
When an old filling takes up more room than the natural tooth around it, the thin walls left behind can flex and split. A crown carries the chewing load instead of those walls.
Years of grinding or wear
Teeth flattened by clenching lose height and often turn sensitive. Crowning the worn teeth rebuilds the bite, and a night guard usually goes along with it to protect the new work.
A misshapen or deeply stained tooth
When whitening or a surface repair will not reach the problem, a crown can change a single tooth's shape, size and shade so it settles in with the teeth beside it.
Finishing an implant or a bridge
The visible part of a dental implant is a crown, and crowns on the teeth either side of a gap are what anchor a dental bridge in place.
Choosing the Material for Your Crown
Front teeth and back molars are asked to do very different jobs, so they are not always best served by the same material.
Matched to the tooth, not to a catalogue
Dr. Mariya Medlenov, DDS looks at where the tooth sits, how hard you bite, how much natural structure is left, and how visible the tooth is when you talk or smile. She talks the trade-offs through with you before anything is prepared, and your coverage is reviewed with you before treatment begins.
Porcelain. Translucent in the way natural enamel is, which makes it the usual choice for teeth that show when you smile.
Zirconia. Very strong and gentle on the opposing tooth, which suits molars that take the brunt of chewing.
Porcelain fused to metal. A metal core under a porcelain surface. A long-established option where strength and appearance both matter.
Gold alloy. Rarely asked for now, but still hard to beat for longevity on a back tooth that nobody sees.
If only the surface of a front tooth is chipped or discoloured, a crown may be more than that tooth needs. Dental bonding and porcelain veneers cover far less of the tooth, and Dr. Medlenov will tell you if one of them is the better fit.
Your Two Visits, Step by Step
What actually happens in the chair
Most crowns are finished across two appointments a few weeks apart. Nothing here should come as a surprise on the day.
Numbing and shaping. The tooth is numbed, any decay is cleared away, and the outer surface is reduced just enough to make room for the crown.
Scan or impression. A digital scan records the prepared tooth and the way your upper and lower teeth meet, then goes to the laboratory that builds the crown.
Temporary crown. You leave with a temporary in place, so the tooth stays protected and you can eat and speak normally while the permanent crown is made.
Fitting. At the second visit the fit, the bite and the shade are all checked before the crown is bonded. The small adjustments made here are what let a crown feel like your own tooth rather than something added to it.
Who a Crown Suits, and Who It Does Not
A crown asks something of the tooth underneath it. There has to be enough sound tooth structure left to hold the crown in place, and the root and the gum around it need to be healthy. If gum disease is active, that gets treated first. If too little tooth remains above the gumline, Dr. Medlenov will talk with you about other ways forward rather than crowning a tooth that cannot support one.
A crown is also not a replacement for everyday care. The porcelain itself will not decay, but the natural tooth at the margin still can, which is why we ask crown patients to keep up regular dental cleanings and exams. A well-made crown is designed to last many years; how long yours lasts depends on your bite, your habits and your hygiene, and results vary from person to person.
Patients come to our Pine Beach office for crowns from Toms River, Bayville, Beachwood, Berkeley Township, Ocean Gate, Forked River, Waretown and across Ocean County. If a crown works loose, or a temporary comes off before your next appointment, call us instead of waiting - we keep room in the schedule for emergency dental care. You are also welcome to read more about Dr. Mariya Medlenov, DDS or look over your financial options before you come in.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Crowns
How much do dental crowns cost in Pine Beach, NJ?
It depends on which tooth is involved and which material is chosen for it. You are given a written treatment plan before anything begins, and we review your coverage with you at that point. See our financial options page for the ways patients can arrange payment.
How long do dental crowns last?
A well-placed crown is designed to last many years, and most patients get a decade or more from one. Longevity varies with your bite, whether you grind your teeth, and how consistently you keep up cleanings and checkups.
How many visits do I need for a dental crown?
A traditional crown takes two visits. The first prepares the tooth and records the impression, and you leave with a temporary crown. The permanent crown is fitted and bonded at the second visit, usually two to three weeks later.
What do I do if my crown falls off?
Call Century Dental East at (732) 341-6010. Keep the crown somewhere safe, avoid chewing on that side, and let us see you as soon as we can fit you in. Do not use household glue to reattach it. There is a fuller guide in our post on what to do when a crown falls off.
Are dental crowns available for patients in Toms River?
Yes. Century Dental East serves crown patients from Pine Beach, Toms River, Bayville, Beachwood, Berkeley Township, Ocean Gate and communities throughout Ocean County, NJ. The office is at 241 Washington Avenue in Pine Beach.
Talk to us about a dental crown in Ocean County
If a tooth is cracked, heavily filled or newly sensitive, the sooner it is looked at the more of it there is to save. Call Century Dental East at (732) 341-6010 or contact our Pine Beach office to arrange a consultation with Dr. Mariya Medlenov.
Visit Our Pine Beach Office
Century Dental East — Gentle, Modern Dentistry for Families in Pine Beach, NJ.
241 Washington Avenue, Pine Beach, NJ 08741
(732) 341-6010
Hours
Mon 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tue 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Wed 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thu 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun Closed
Serving patients across
- Toms River
- Lakewood
- Lakehurst
- Forked River
- Bayville
- Beachwood
- Pine Beach
- Barnegat Light
- Ocean Gate
- Maple Shade
- Leisure Village
- Cedar Grove
- Waretown
- Howardsville
- Brookville
- Holly Park
- South Toms River