Dental crowns are a versatile solution for restoring both the function and appearance of damaged teeth. Whether your tooth is cracked, decayed, or weakened, a crown can provide the necessary support and protection.
At Endicott Dental, we specialize in custom-made dental crowns that blend seamlessly with your natural teeth. These crowns not only enhance the look of your smile but also restore your ability to chew and speak comfortably.
Understanding these aspects will help you make an informed decision about whether dental crowns are the right choice for your oral health needs. With the right care, dental crowns can be a long-lasting solution that revitalizes your smile and improves your quality of life.
What are the benefits of getting dental crowns for damaged teeth?
Dental crowns offer several significant benefits for restoring damaged teeth, making them a popular choice in dental treatment:
- Protection and Strength: Crowns provide a robust protective cover for teeth that decay, crack, or extensive dental work, such as root canals that have weakened. They effectively encase the tooth, shielding it from further damage while restoring its original strength and functionality.
- Aesthetic Improvement: Crowns are highly customizable, which makes them an excellent option for improving the appearance of discolored, misshapen, or otherwise aesthetically compromised teeth. They can be matched to the color of your teeth, offering a natural, seamless appearance.
- Durability: Made from materials like porcelain, ceramic, gold, or a fusion of metal and ceramic, dental crowns are durable and can last up to 15 years or more with proper care. This makes them a long-term solution for dental restoration.
- Improved Comfort and Oral Health: Crowns help restore tooth structure and improve bite alignment, significantly enhancing oral function. After damaged teeth are restored with crowns, eating and speaking can become easier and more comfortable.
- Versatility: Dental crowns can be used with other dental procedures. They are necessary for completing dental implant treatments and are commonly used to anchor dental bridges.
- Preventive Care: Crowns help seal out further infections and decay by covering the entire visible portion of the tooth. This aspect of preventive care is crucial for maintaining dental health, especially in teeth that have already undergone significant treatment.
Dental crowns are reliable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing ways to repair and protect damaged teeth. They enhance a smile's functionality and overall appearance.
How long do dental crowns typically last?
Dental crowns typically last 5 to 15 years, but they can endure much longer with proper care and maintenance, often lasting up to 25 to 30 years. The lifespan of a dental crown depends on several factors:
- Material Used: The type of material from which the crown is made plays a significant role in its durability. Porcelain crowns are popular for their natural appearance but may need to be stronger than metal crowns. Gold and metal alloys are highly durable and can withstand biting and chewing forces better, making them last longer.
- Placement and Function: Crowns placed on teeth involved in vigorous chewing, like molars, may be subjected to more wear and tear than those on other teeth, potentially reducing their lifespan.
- Oral Hygiene Practices: Regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash help prevent tooth decay and gum disease can shorten life dental crowns.
- Personal Habits: Habits such as grinding or clenching teeth, chewing ice, biting fingernails, or using teeth to open packaging can significantly shorten the life of a crown.
- Regular Dental Check-ups: Routine dental visits for professional cleanings and examinations help ensure that crowns remain in good condition. Dentists can spot and address issues like loose or cracked crowns before they become major problems.
By choosing the right material and taking good care of the crown and surrounding gums, the longevity of a dental crown can be maximized, providing many years of functional and aesthetic benefits.
Are there different types of dental crowns available?
Yes, several different dental crowns are available, each made from different materials that suit various needs based on aesthetics, strength, durability, and cost. Here are the most common types:
- Porcelain or Ceramic Crowns: These are popular for their natural color and texture, closely mimicking natural teeth. Due to their excellent aesthetic qualities, they are ideal for front teeth restorations. Modern ceramics are highly durable and suitable even for back teeth.
- Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) Crowns combine metal's strength with porcelain's aesthetics. A metal substructure is covered with a layer of porcelain, providing good durability and a more natural appearance than metal crowns. However, over time, the metal line at the gum may become visible if the gum recedes.
- Gold and Metal Crowns: Made of gold, platinum, or base-metal alloys like nickel or chromium, metal crowns are extremely durable and resist chipping and wear. They are a good choice for out-of-sight molars that undergo a lot of pressure from chewing.
- Stainless Steel Crowns: Primarily used on children’s teeth, these prefabricated crowns protect teeth or fillings, while permanent crowns are formed of another material. They are cost-effective and require fewer dental visits.
- Zirconia Crowns: Known for their strength and durability, they are made from zirconium dioxide, a tough ceramic that withstands wear and tear. They offer a strong, long-lasting, and more aesthetic alternative to metal crowns.
- Composite Resin Crowns: Less expensive than other types of crowns, composite resin crowns can be color-matched to your natural teeth but are more prone to wear and discoloration over time. They may also be less durable.
The choice of crown type typically depends on the tooth's location, the patient's bite, and aesthetic preferences. Cost considerations and any allergies to metals can also influence the decision. Discussing these factors with your dentist will help you choose the best type of crown for your specific situation.
What is the procedure for placing a dental crown?
A dental crown restores a broken or decayed tooth's shape, size, and function in numerous processes. When teeth are badly decaying, broken, weakened, or have had root canal therapy, crowns are applied. The process is outlined here:
- Initial Examination and Preparation: First, the dentist examines the tooth. Damage and tooth root and bone health may require X-rays. A root canal might precede a crown if the tooth is extensively decayed or pulp-infected.
- Tooth Preparation: If appropriate, the dentist crowns the tooth. Local anesthetic soothes teeth and ambiance—crown-molded tooth. Metallic crowns remove less tooth structure than porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
- Impression: After dental preparation, the dentist takes an impression. The dental lab needs this imprint to build the crown. The impression captures the prepared tooth and adjacent teeth's shape and location to ensure the crown fits perfectly in the patient's bite.
- Temporary Crown Placement: While the permanent crown is being fabricated—typically taking a couple of weeks—a temporary crown is placed over the prepared tooth. This temporary crown keeps the tooth intact and looks until the permanent crown arrives.
- Crown Fabrication: In a dental lab, experienced specialists make the permanent crown from impressions. The crown is customized to fit the size, form, and color of surrounding natural teeth, ensuring a natural and aesthetically pleasing result.
- Crown Placement: At the second visit, the temporary crown is removed, and the permanent crown fit and color are evaluated. Modifications can align the bite and fit. After the doctor and patient agree, dental cement attaches the crown to the prepared tooth for strength.
- Follow-Up: After cementing the crown, the dentist may check the patient's bite and make any final adjustments. Patients are typically advised on caring for their new crown, including dental hygiene and potential dietary adjustments to protect it.
Putting a dental crown requires careful planning, tooth preparation, manufacture, and installation to restore tooth function and beauty. This technique strengthens and beautifies the tooth, enhancing oral health and well-being.
Restore Your Smile with Dental Crowns!
Endicott Dental creates high-quality dental crowns that mirror your teeth's natural appearance. Our dental crowns are sturdy and attractive for damaged, decaying, or worn teeth. Our experts use the latest procedures to make your crowns practical and beautiful, improving your oral health and confidence. Start a brighter smile at Endicott Dental now! Contact us at Endicott Dental and set your appointment.
