303-296-1402
1391 Speer Blvd., Suite 540Fillings are designed to repair small to medium-sized cavities. As time goes by, older and larger fillings have a greater propensity to fail. Sometimes, bacteria can work their way between the seam of a filling and cause a new area of decay.
When a filling is lost, there might not be enough healthy enamel remaining for your dentist, Dr. Thomas Ouellette, to safely secure a few filling. In a situation like this, the best method for treating the problem is to replace all of the tooth enamel layers with a dental crown in Denver, Colorado.
Your dentist will start the treatment by examining the tooth to assess the extent of the problem and to make sure the pulp and other interior structures of the tooth are healthy. If new decay has penetrated the pulp or root of the tooth, a root canal might need to be performed.
The dentist will then remove the enamel layer of the tooth, leaving a post-like abutment behind. The abutment is essentially the dentin and pulp of the tooth that is still anchored securely in the socket.
An impression will be made to serve as a guide for the dental lab technicians who will custom-craft your crown. Then, the dentist will secure a hard, plastic temporary crown over the abutment to protect it.
A member of our Thomas E. Ouellette, DDS, PC staff will call you to schedule your second appointment once the dental lab technicians have completed your permanent crown. During this brief appointment, the temporary crown will be removed and your permanent crown will be cemented into place.
If you’ve recently lost a filling, you should call Thomas E. Ouellette, DDS, PC at 303-296-1402 to have it examined and treated.