Learn How To Care For Your New Dental Crown In Order To Protect Damaged Teeth
Living with chipped or damaged teeth is challenging, especially when it comes to being able to speak or chew properly. Studies show the average adult american has three or more missing or broken teeth. In such cases, getting dental implants is certainly an option. However, a new dental crown is a more affordable way to repair these types of dental problems. These types of prosthetic devices can restore the shape of your face, prevent bone loss in the jaw and keep healthy teeth from shifting into the gaps left by missing or damaged teeth.
At The Dental and Denture Care Center located in Spring Hill, Florida, Dr. Juan C. Fabrega helps patients feel confident about their smile and restore dental function. The expert staff will help you keep your crown as long as possible by helping you select the most appropriate material for your tooth replacement needs.
How Does A New Dental Crown Work?
Your crown prosthetic acts like a tooth shaped cap that fits over a damaged tooth or can fill in a gap left by a missing or extracted tooth.
When it comes to your dental health, a crown can help you meet the following goals:
- Cover a damaged dental implant
- Help restore a tooth after a root canal
- Change a damaged tooth’s shape and alignment
- Correct a discolored tooth
- Cover a large filling from a cavity that fills most of the tooth
- Hold together a weak or cracked tooth
- Secure a damaged dental bridge
Getting a crown involves the dentist cementing the crown over the damaged tooth. Only the dentist can remove it if that is a procedure that is needed.
In many cases, a temporary crown may be secured until a permanent crown from the laboratory can be constructed and put in its place.
What Materials Are Used When Constructing A New Dental Crown?
The materials used to build a crown come in a wide variety of types. Which type used depends largely on where the crown is located in the mouth and also what the crown is being used for. Most of the materials used can be tailored to match the color of the rest of the teeth in the mouth, making the crown itself undetectable.
Crowns Come In The Following Materials
Metal
Gold, chrome, palladium and nickel are metals commonly used when constructing a dental crown. These metals rarely break or chip and are considered the strongest and longest lasting materials used to build a crown. However, their metallic color can be distracting to others. Therefore, they are often reserved for crowns in the back of the mouth, where teeth are not typically visible.
Stainless Steel
These crowns are typically prefabricated and act as a temporary crown until a more permamanent crown can be installed. Stainless steel is often used in children’s teeth since it is relatively inexpensive and doesn’t require multiple visits to the dentist.
Porcelain Metal Combo
Crowns that are manaufactured by using a combination of materials are ideal for accurately matching the color of one’s teeth. When replacing teeth more towards the front of the mouth, this type of procedure may be used. The metal used in this type of prosthetic allow these crowns to be among the strongest and longest lasting materials used.
Porcelain Or Ceramic
When using porcelain or ceramic for crowns, this material allows for some of the most natural looking tooth replacement options available. These are ideal for front teeth and for those that may have an allergic reaction to metals. The material is super strong and as such, one downside is that it may wear down the enamel of teeth opposite to them.
Resin
Resin based crowns are the least expensive of the bunch. While they can be matched to the color of your teeth, the material wears down the fastest and breaks down easier than other tooth replacements using metals.
How Long Will A New Dental Crown Last?
Dependng on the material used, we often advise people that a crown will last 5 to 15 years. However, in most cases, a crown will last a lifetime.
The lifespan of your crown depends largely on how well you maintain your oral hygiene, as well as how much wear and tear is experienced during the use of the crown. It really depends on where in the mouth the crown is located and the material used in its manufacture. The condition of the teeth surrounding the crown can also effect how long it lasts as well.
You can ensure you get the most out of your new dental crown by maintaining good oral hygiene that includes proper brushing technique twice daily, flossing and getting a regular checkup and dental exam. Good dental habits will help support the condition of your crown for many years.
Talk To Us About Getting A New Dental Crown Or Any Tooth Replacement Options
Learn more about how a dental crown can work to correct cosmetic and other dental functions. Please call The Dental and Denture Care Center at (352) 848-1050 or contact us through our website here to schedule your appointment today. Our team of dental experts are here to give you the best smile of your life.
