Break a Tooth? Get a Same-Day Dental Crown

When you break or crack a tooth, especially one that’s visible, you want a fast fix. After all, it’s normal to feel hesitant to show your teeth until you’re back to your natural smile. While traditional dental crowns have been the go-to method of repair for broken teeth for years, they require two appointments over several weeks. But thanks to new technology, same-day crowns allow your dentist to repair your tooth in just one visit.

CEREC Crowns Explained

A crown is a type of covering that looks like the rest of your teeth and fits over the damaged part of your tooth. According to the American Dental Association, a crown can:

  • Cover a dental implant
  • Improve the appearance of a tooth
  • Improve the strength of a tooth
  • Protect a tooth
  • Fix a cracked, broken or damaged tooth
  • Hold a dental bridge in place

And Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC) is a type of crown that can be made in-office. Examining the damaged tooth, your dentist can determine if you’re an ideal CEREC candidate. Sometimes, you will get a quick X-ray, too.

CEREC is a step-by-step process that’s completed entirely in-house in one day:

  • Prep: Your dentist will use local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth. Special tools shape your tooth in preparation for a crown.
  • Scan: Next, a CEREC digital scanner creates a 3D image of your tooth.
  • Design: Your dentist uses computer-aided design (CAD) software to create a model of your crown using your 3D image as a guide.
  • Create: In less than half an hour, a milling machine, located in your dentist’s office, creates your crown from durable, natural-looking material.
  • Attach: Your dentist fits your crown to your tooth, adjusting as necessary for a perfect fit.
  • Bond: Dental cement creates a permanent bond, ensuring the crown won’t come loose.
  • Polish: Once clean and polished, your new crown will match the rest of your teeth.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Same-Day Dental Crowns 

Many people choose same-day dental crowns for the convenience of a one-and-done appointment. Same-day dental crowns have some surprising additional benefits, too.

  • Appearance: Same-day dental crowns are made from material that more closely mimics your natural teeth.
  • Durability: CEREC crowns are made from strong material. With proper care, CEREC crowns will last 10 to 15 years and, likely, longer.
  • Personalized fit: Traditional molds require biting down on putty to create an impression of your teeth. This process is often messy, and the result sometimes isn’t as accurate as a 3D impression.

Because CEREC requires special equipment and training, however, not all dentists offer same-day dental crowns. Also, a few insurance companies consider same-day dental crowns cosmetic, even if the tooth is damaged. So, if you have dental insurance, be sure to understand what it will cover fully.

Chipping or breaking a visible tooth can cause a surprising amount of grief. Beyond any pain you may experience, you may be conscious of how your smile looks every time you open your mouth. A same-day dental crown allows you to return to your natural smile quickly, with technology that ensures a great fit.

 

Curious About Same-Day Dental Crowns?

Unlike many dentists, we offer same-day dental crowns using the latest technology. If you want to fix a damaged tooth fast, contact First Impressions Dentistry today. Using CEREC, we can restore the look of your smile in just one visit.

Contact Our Office

Is IV Sedation Safe?

Imagine having dental treatment done in a state of deep relaxation and calmness, with little awareness of what is happening around you and little memory of what occurred once it’s over. For people who choose IV sedation, this dream is a reality.

Whether you’re familiar with IV sedation in dentistry or not, you likely have some questions—the No. 1 being, Is it safe?

The American Dental Association outlines specific guidelines that dentists and staff must follow to administer IV sedation safely during dental treatments. Dentists and staff must also comply with state laws. In addition to special training and guidelines, your dentist will make sure IV sedation is a safe choice for you before use in a dental treatment.

IV Sedation Explained

IV sedation is a type of conscious sedation. IV conscious sedation means you can respond to people around you. Still, you have little awareness of what is happening and feel less anxious and more relaxed. Some people call it a state of being semi-conscious. It is sometimes called twilight sedation.

Specially trained staff administer IV sedation and monitor you throughout your treatment. The medication that causes the sedation is delivered to your body via an intravenous tube connected to a needle that is gently inserted into a vein in your hand or arm. It begins to wear off quickly once your dental treatment has ended.

Benefits

IV sedation is great for people who experience dental anxiety. It works quickly, allowing you to feel calm faster and spend less time in the dentist’s chair. IV sedation also affects your memory. After your treatment, everything that happened will feel a little fuzzy, a benefit many people enjoy.

Additional IV sedation benefits include:

  • It helps people who have a strong gag reflex.
  • It helps people who have developed decreased sensitivity to local anesthesia.
  • It makes long treatments feel faster.
  • It softens the sound of equipment used to clean teeth.
  • It stops a cycle of delayed care and treatment.

Risks

If you’ve never had IV sedation, it’s not possible to know exactly how you will react to it. In rare cases people experience allergic reactions. However, your dentist will have special medication if this occurs.

Many IV sedation risks, if experienced, are short-lived. These include:

  • A feeling of drowsiness that’s hard to shake
  • Bruising around the needle insertion site
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

What about Oversedation? 

Oversedation, which is rare, occurs when you are given too much IV sedation. If this happens, your blood pressure can drop and your breathing rate can slow down too much. But this is, in part, why staff closely monitor you.

Staff can quickly and easily adjust the amount of medicine you are receiving throughout your treatment, which makes oversedation rare. Also, if oversedation occurs, staff can quickly give you a different medicine to reverse the effects.

Is IV Sedation Right for You?

Your dentist will ensure you are an ideal candidate before your dental treatment appointment. If you are interested in IV sedation, you will first have a consultation. During that appointment, your dentist will ask you for:

  • List of any medications you are taking
  • Current medical conditions
  • Detailed personal medical history
  • Detailed family medical history
  • Past medical conditions

 

Don’t Let Dental Anxiety Delay Treatment

At First Impressions Dentistry, our staff is specially trained to provide nitrous oxide sedation, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation. If you’re delaying treatment for fear of what the experience will be like, contact us today and find out if sedation is right for you.

Contact Our Office

5 Reasons Why You Need Six-Month Dental Checkups

Let’s be honest: Delaying a dental checkup is easy to do. Three months becomes six months, and the next thing you know, it’s been a year (or more).

If you need an incentive, think of it this way: Regular checkups can keep you from having to go to the dentist more than twice a year for dental care treatments. There’s truth in the common saying that prevention is better than cure. And if you still need convincing, read on.

Dental Checkups Help Prevent Tooth Decay and Cavities

Cavities and tooth decay occur when bacteria wear down the hard surface of your teeth. This can create a tiny hole that gets bigger unless a dentist removes the bacteria. Cavities can be painful. A serious infection can occur if left untreated.

Cavities are common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five adults ages 20 to 64 has a cavity that’s not being treated right now. One of your dentist’s top priorities is to find cavities, including small ones invisible to you. Depending on the cavity’s size, your dentist may recommend fluoride, a filling, or a root canal procedure. 

A dentist may need to pull your tooth if you don’t treat a cavity and tooth decay continues.

Dental Checkups Help Prevent Gum Disease

In addition to examining your teeth, a dentist carefully examines your gums during your dental checkup. Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, occurs when your gums become inflamed or infected. Your gums can bleed or swell, and you may have bad breath. Because your gums support your teeth, untreated gum disease can cause you to lose teeth.

Gum disease is also common. According to the CDC, one in four adults 30 years or older has gum disease.

Carefully caring for your teeth can help prevent gum disease. But some people are just unlucky and are more likely to experience gum disease, no matter how regularly they brush and floss. Regular cleanings can help prevent gum disease. Your dentist also can spot gum disease early on and treat it before it leads to more problems.

Oral Checkups are Good for Your Overall Health 

You may be surprised by how much your oral health affects your overall health—and vice versa. Studies have shown that issues with your teeth and gums make you at higher risk for:

  • Heart issues
  • Pneumonia
  • Pregnancy problems
  • Stroke

On the flip side, some health conditions can negatively impact your oral health, including:

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Weak and brittle bones

Visiting your dentist regularly doesn’t just affect your smile. It can have a positive and profound effect on your entire well-being.

Dental Checkups Screen for Cancer

At every checkup, your dentist will screen for oral cancer by examining everything inside your mouth and the back of your throat, as well as your lips, neck, and face. The earlier your dentist detects oral cancer, the easier it is to treat.

Dental Checkups Promote Good Oral Health

Dentists do a great job at playing detective, finding and treating issues in your mouth. Dentists also do a great job of offering personalized advice on what you can do between your six-month dental checkups to prevent problems in the future. Your dentist may talk to you about the following:

  • Toothbrush bristle softness
  • Areas to brush more
  • Water flosser benefits
  • Tongue brush benefits
  • Fluoride treatments
  • Dental sealants
  • Sleep apnea treatments
  • Antibacterial mouthwash
  • Teeth straightening
  • Teeth whitening

 

Schedule Your Dental Checkup Today

Whether it’s been six months or six years since your last dental checkup, the dentists and hygienists at First Impressions Dentistry want to see you. Request a dental appointment at our Oklahoma City or Yukon dental office today.

Contact Our Office