Top 5 Reasons You May Need a Tooth Crown
Reasons for Getting a Tooth Crown
Sometimes called a cap, a tooth crown is a thin piece of material that covers your teeth. Ultimately, tooth crowns are designed to protect and preserve your teeth. In other words, crowns help people to save teeth which otherwise may need to be pulled or removed. Dental crowns can be made of stainless steel, metals such as gold, or porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic.
While metals used to be the most common option for tooth crowns, natural looking options such as resin, porcelain, and ceramic have become increasingly popular over the years. Regardless of their material, dental crowns are useful in the following situations.
1. Decayed Teeth with Little Structure Left
When you have a deep cavity that goes into the root of your tooth, you generally need a root canal. However, if the enamel is also severely damaged, you also need a tooth crown to correct that issue. In this situation, the dentist removes the decay from your tooth and then puts in the filling material. Finally, the dentist creates a dental crown that matches the natural shape of that tooth and puts it over the tooth.
2. Cracked Teeth
Whether the tooth has internal decay or not, if it is cracked on the outside, it may also need a dental crown. In this situation, the crown repairs the crack by essentially hiding it. You can also use dental crowns in this situation to hold the tooth together.
3. Discolored or Misshapen Teeth
In some cases, you can also fix cosmetic issues with a dental crown. If your tooth is misshapen or discolored due to nerve damage or any other issues, your dentist may recommend a dental crown. However, your dentist may start by recommending a veneer.
A dental veneer is a thin coating (also made of porcelain or ceramic) that goes over a single surface of the tooth. It’s similar to a dental crown, but it doesn’t have as many uses. However, in this particular case, it can sometimes work as an alternative to a dental crown.
4. Implant Covers
If you are missing a tooth, a dental implant is a practically permanent way to put in a replacement, and again, this process involves a tooth crown. Basically, the dentist or oral surgeon implants a very small metal post into your mouth. Your jaw bone ossifies around that post, creating a permanent connection.
Then, the dentist finishes the job by placing a dental crown on top of the post. Although the crown may need to be replaced after ten to fifteen years or so, the post is almost always permanent.
5. Bridge Anchors
You can also use dental crowns to anchor a bridge. Depending on the health of your jaw bone, the health of nearby teeth, and a few other factors, the dentist has a couple of different options.
In particular, the dentist can put implants on either side of the gap, and then, place crowns on those implants and a bridge (a series of prosthetic teeth) between the crowns. Or, the dentist can skip the implants and place the crowns directly on your existing teeth. Then, those crowns anchor the bridge.
Do you need a dental crown? Then, contact Buckhead Cosmetic & Family Dentistry today. We are a new cosmetic and family dentist in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.