Do Dental Implants Require Crowns?

Dental crowns are a cost-effective and long-term solution for repairing tooth damage. A crown improves your bite function and gives you a brighter smile. Apart from repairing tooth damage, a crown can be used to support a dental bridge or cover an implant.

Let’s examine how dental implants work and why you need a crown to cover one.

How Do Dental Implants Work?

An implant is a great restorative option if you’re missing teeth. Typically, implants contain three parts – the post, abutment, and crown. The post consists of a titanium screw surgically inserted into the jawbone. The implant post acts like artificial roots, replacing the missing teeth roots.

The jawbone is supposed to heal around the implant during osseointegration. Thus, the implant becomes part of the mouth. The healing process takes about 3 – 6 months. You must have a healthy and strong jawbone to hold the implant sufficiently. If you have an unhealthy jawbone, you can get a bone graft to repair and rebuild your jawbone to allow it to support the implant sufficiently.

Once the implant heals, the dentist will place an abutment on the crown. An abutment is a small peg-like device that connects the implant post with the outer crown. After placing the abutment, you’ll wait about two weeks to allow the gums to heal before placing the crown. Looking for dental implants in Concord, NH? Concord Dental Associates can help!

How Dental Crowns Are Attached to Implants

Finally, a crown goes over the abutment and the implant post to replace the missing tooth crown. A crown is a custom-made device that mimics the shape, size, and sometimes the color of your natural teeth.

Dental crowns are made in a dental lab using impressions and other records from your cosmetic dentist in Concord, MA. It fits snugly over the implant and blends naturally with your natural teeth. In the meantime, the dentist can attach a temporary crown to the dental implant.

Once the permanent crown is ready, you’ll be invited for the fitting procedure. The dentist can numb you before removing the temporary crown, but it’s not always necessary.

Next, the dentist removes the crown and checks the fit of the permanent crown. The crown should fit snugly over the implant without causing discomfort or looking bulky. The dentist places the crown and asks you to bite down to examine the bite. If necessary, the dentist can trim or adjust the crown’s fit to achieve the desired fit.

If the fit is perfect and comfortable, then the dentist places the permanent implant crown. To do this, the dentist can use two methods:

• Screw-retained dental crowns. The dentist uses a small screw to place the top of the crown into the abutment. Screw-retained crowns offer excellent retention and retrievability. It will keep the crown in place while allowing easy removal. This reduces the risk of damaging other components when replacing the crown. On the negative side, the hole on top of the crown can be visible. Therefore, they are best appropriate for back teeth.
• Cemented dental crowns. In this case, the dentist uses a special dental cement to attach the crown over the abutment. While they provide better aesthetics, they are slightly difficult to maintain and replace. They are best suited for the front top teeth.

Replacing implant crown

Over time, the crown can wear down or become damaged. You may need to replace your crown every 10 – 15 years. The process of replacing the crown is similar to the initial placement of the crown.

The dentist will examine the abutment to determine whether it requires to be replaced too. They will then take the necessary impressions and create a replacement crown and abutment if necessary. The customized crown will be placed after a couple of weeks.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you interested in an implant-supported crown in Concord, NH? Contact Concord Dental Associates to schedule your appointment today.