What Does It Mean to Have a Tooth Prepped for a Dental Crown?

After meeting with your dentist and discovering that you have a severely decayed tooth, you begin to prepare yourself for the day that you will receive a custom dental crown. Knowing that it is a procedure that must happen if you are to avoid more complex and invasive treatment, it can still be daunting if you don’t know what to expect. This is why you are encouraged to keep reading to learn what your dentist means when referring to tooth preparation and why it’s a necessary step when receiving this kind of restoration.

What Does It Mean to Prepare a Tooth?

Tooth preparation is a term that your dentist will use to describe the process that must take place before bonding a dental crown over a vulnerable tooth.

Once your dentist removes the decayed portions of the tooth’s structure, it will be sealed with a composite resin so that bacteria cannot reinfect the area. After the resin hardens, the tooth will then be altered or “prepped.” This means that specialized instruments will be used to file down the tooth so that the crown can fit correctly and comfortably on top.

Why Does Shaving or Prepping a Tooth Matter?

Dentists who do not follow the necessary steps to ensure that a tooth is properly prepped before dental crown placement put you at risk. Not only may the crown not fit correctly and fall off, but without ensuring its placement, bacteria and harmful particles can develop and spread underneath the crown, reinfecting the tooth.

Each step is pivotal to the success of the restorative treatment and your future smile. From ensuring that all decay is removed, and it is properly sealed to shaving down all jagged and pointed areas of the tooth so that the crown can rest comfortably on top, this process is one that can have a positive or negative impact on the future of your oral health.

Receiving a dental crown is a worthwhile investment if you want to make sure that your tooth does not succumb to harmful bacteria and decay. With a trusted professional who possesses the right training and experience, you can rest easier knowing that your tooth will be in the best possible shape to support the protective and natural-looking dental crown year after year.

About the Author
Dr. Ulysses L. Marable is a trusted dentist in Valley, GA, who opened his practice in 2007. Following in the footsteps of his uncle, he chose to become a dentist and attended the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry in Augusta. Earning his DMD, he completed a General Practice Residency at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in Bronx, New York. As a skilled dentist, he and his team can assist patients who need dental crowns to protect vulnerable, recently decayed teeth. If you are struggling to understand the process, contact us at (478) 825-3000.