When Is A Dental Crown Procedure Used?
Often when a tooth has existing large fillings with decay, or a broken tooth, a filling would no longer be enough to restore the damaged tooth. Your dentist may recommend a dental crown procedure. This procedure is fairly common and safe. Dental crowns will restore the entire tooth structure bringing your smile back to its natural state. A crown is a full coverage structure that is permanently cemented over your natural tooth structure once it has been prepared. Crowns are also referred to as “caps”.
Our Dental Crown Procedure Is Designed Specifically For Each Individual Patient’s Needs
Dental crown treatments can be recommended for other reasons also. Here are a few of those reasons.
Root Canals
Treating a tooth that has had the nerve removed is no longer a vital tooth. The structure of the root and tooth are still intact, just the nerve is gone. Once the nerve is removed from the tooth, it will become very brittle and begin to break down. A dental crown procedure will more than likely be recommended to protect the remaining tooth structure. This treatment is usually recommended within two weeks of having a root canal performed.
Excessive Wear
Lets face it, life can be stressful. Some of us deal with stress by excessively grinding our teeth. Many people grind their teeth and don’t even realize they are doing it. Excessive grinding will wear the tooth enamel down giving teeth a flat smooth surface. In some cases, excessive grinding may be the result of sleep apnea and could make the teeth shorter and change the structure of your face. Also, acids in our diets and health issues that cause acid reflux will impact the enamel wearing it down. The only way to restore these situations back to full size teeth is to cover and protect them from getting worse is with dental crown procedures.
Broken Teeth
It’s possible that in your life you’ve had a silver filling. Those silver fillings are made of a composite called amalgam. The stress of chewing on teeth that have been restored with these silver fillings can cause a part of your enamel holding this filling in place to break off. If this happens the dentist will more than likely recommend crown treatment due to not enough natural tooth structure to support more filling.
Cracked Tooth Syndrome
This is caused by a tooth having structural fractures. The symptoms are usually pain with chewing and pressure to the tooth. The tooth is trying to split apart. To keep the tooth from breaking and possibly becoming non-restorable, a dental crown procedure is recommended as quickly as possible. The dentist may even recommend you wear a temporary crown until symptoms subside. If a tooth splits so far down that it reaches the nerve, Further treatment may include: root canal treatment or possibly tooth removal if treatment of tooth is performed in time.
Implants
An implant is recommended when a patient loses a tooth. An implant is a man-made ‘tooth root’ placed into the bone of the missing tooth area. An implant is the best way to preserve your jaw. After an implant is placed, a crown procedure is performed, to construct a tooth. It’s almost like growing a new tooth!
Cosmetic Reasons
There are many reasons patients may want their teeth to look different. discuss with your dentist what it is that you would like to improve about your smile. The dentist will propose the best crown procedures for optimum cosmetics.
Is A Dental Crown Procedure Right For You?
While there are many reasons you may need a dental crown procedure, ultimately you will want to ask your dentist what options are best for you. If you have questions about crowns and how they apply to your oral health, please call The Dental and Denture Care Center at (352) 848-1050 or contact us through our website here to ask your questions. Our team of dental experts are here to give you the best smile of your life and we are here to help.
