What Are Dental Crowns?
Whether you bit down too hard on something hard, or you’ve allowed your teeth to become extremely decayed, repair options will need to be considered to save as much of the tooth as possible. For some forms of damage and decay, tooth fillings or dental veneers are the best options. For other, more advanced forms of decay and damage, dental crowns are often the best option.
What Are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are dental prosthetics that are often made with either porcelain or ceramic (but they can also be made with metal and gold alloys). These repair appliances return a significant amount of the functionality to a tooth, while also improving the overall appearance.
Why Would I Need a Dental Crown?
There are a few different reasons why a dental crown may be necessary. These include:
- The restoration of a fractured tooth.
- Covering a dental implant.
- Repairing a discolored tooth.
- Repair of a cracked tooth.
- Support of a dental bridge.
A dental crown allows the patient to maintain the root of their tooth, and it helps them to avoid needing an extraction and replacement. Crowns are also very durable, and can allow a patient to bite and chew much like they did with their natural tooth.
Dental Bridges
If a patient has a missing tooth or set of teeth, different replacement options will need to be considered. One popular replacement option is a dental bridge. Dental bridges bridge the gap leftover from one or more missing teeth. Bridges restore the patient’s bite and improve the overall appearance of their smile.
Dental bridges will often involve the placement of abutments and a pontic. The pontic is held in place by the abutments. These abutments are dental crowns that attach to the pontic. In order for the bridge to stay secure, a dentist needs to place at least one dental crown that is attached to the pontic—if not two—in order to secure the bridge.
Crown Placement
The dental crown placement process involves the reshaping of a patient’s tooth, then an impression being made to create the prosthetic. The patient will be given different options for materials to create the prosthetic. Once the dental crown is ready, the dentist will check the fit of the crown on the patient. If they are pleased with the fit, they will place the dental crown using special dental cement.
Is a Crown Right for Me?
Which tooth repair option is right for you depends on the extent of the damage to your tooth, and the option that your dentists decides is best for your needs. Your dentist may opt for a dental veneer or even a filling for minor damage. Once the damage becomes severe, though, your dentist may decide the best available option is a dental crown.
If you have a damaged or decayed tooth, set an appointment with your dentist to discuss repair options, and see if the placement of a dental crown is the right treatment option for you.
More About Dental Crowns : What are the Different Types of Dental Crowns?