Dental crowns ‘transformed how I felt about my teeth’

Crowns are becoming an increasingly popular method for fixing broken or damaged teeth, but what does it entail? We asked one of our own patients how they felt about the treatment

Garvan Grant thought the issues with his broken teeth couldn’t be fixed but after a consultation with Dr Jennifer Collins, Clincal Lead General Dentist at Northumberland Dental Care, he had two crowns fitted. He talks to us about the process and the results.

The problems

I’ve always taken relatively good care of my teeth but, like most people, they were far from perfect. This was down to general wear and tear, as well as a fondness for good food, red wine, gallons of coffee and the odd cigarette or two when I was younger. (Please don’t tell my daughters about this!)

In particular, my two front teeth were damaged or cracked in some way and very discoloured. This had actually led me to be very self-conscious about my smile to the extent that I found myself using my upper lip to cover up my broken front teeth. In other words, I had stopped smiling in the normal way.

To counteract this, I also used whitening toothpaste, hoping in some way to make them look normal again. I didn’t think a dentist could really fix the issue – at least, not without removing the teeth and giving me dentures. I was in my late 40s and still felt a bit young for false teeth.

First visit

Then, while attending Northumberland Dental Care in March 2019 for my PRSI ‘exam, scale and polish’, my dentist, Dr Jennifer Collins, told me the problem was easily fixable using dental crowns.

“Just looking at your teeth, I can see exactly how we could use the existing teeth to fit crowns and restore your smile,” Dr Collins told me. “In fact, I’m already formulating a plan of treatment now.”

This was exactly what I wanted to hear and it gave me great confidence that Dr Collins and the team could, in a relatively short space of time, fix a problem which I had assumed was permanent.

Temporary crowns

On my next visit, Dr Collins and the team prepared my two front teeth for crowns by ‘taking the edge’ off them – my phrase! It does involve machinery though. They gave me an anaesthetic but the procedure was much easier and shorter than I had anticipated. Essentially, they were creating the space so my new ‘teeth’ could be fitted over the existing ones. This was important to me: I wasn’t losing any teeth or getting false ones.

Dr Collins then took a mould or impression of my teeth. This would be sent to a lab where two crowns would be created specifically for me. The team also made sure the colour and shade of the crowns would match the rest of my teeth. (I wanted the two whitest, brightest ones possible so I could look like a Hollywood star again!) I was then fitted with two temporary crowns and a second appointment made for two weeks’ time.

The big reveal

Temporary crowns give you a real sense of what your teeth will look like, but it wasn’t until the permanent ones were fitted that I really saw the transformation. There was some work to do getting the crowns ‘cemented’ on but it was fairly easy.

When I saw the results, I was thrilled. My crowns looked like my own teeth and I could smile again without trying to cover up the cracks. Result!

Recommend

If you have similar issues, I would highly recommend getting crowns fitted or at least discussing it with your dentist. The first session when your teeth are prepped can be quite long with a lot of work being done in your mouth. This is never much fun but was also fairly painless.

Also, wearing the temporary crowns (and subsequently the real ones) takes a bit of getting used to as you suddenly have something new in your mouth. That is always a weird sensation as they feel huge against your tongue but clearly are just the same size and length as all your other teeth.

However, overall, the whole process doesn’t take long and it really is worth it. My crowns feel very strong, as if they were my real teeth, though I still don’t use them for opening bottles of beer . . .

To find out about all the general, specialist and cosmetic treatments available in Northumberland Dental Care and to book an appointment, visit its website here: www.dentalcareireland.ie/nidm/