Dental Crowns Can Protect Your Tooth
If your tooth has been severely damaged, dental crowns can be a solution for correcting and strengthening them. This is more than a cosmetic dentistry procedure. It is a way to ensure that the damaged tooth is protected from bacteria and plaque while giving it the strength to endure constant biting and chewing.
Unlike other cosmetic solutions, a crown works like a cap that surrounds the top and sides of the tooth. It is placed over the tooth so that the existing tooth will not be seen or exposed. This is an ideal solution after a tooth has had an infection, and a resulting root canal to treat it. In this procedure a dentist removes the infected center portion of the tooth, called the dental pulp, and any roots that are infected along with it. A filling is then placed where the dental pulp once was. In order to provide additional strength and stability, the tooth is capped.
This is an excellent solution for people that need more than a cosmetic fix for their tooth. Previously, dental crowns were only made out of metallic material, so many patients did not want to use them, regardless of their benefits. Now, they come in multiple materials so that a cosmetic dentist can install them on front teeth without the tooth looking like it has been repaired.
Types of Crowns
All metal ones are often used on the back molars because they are incredibly durable and last for a long time. They do stand out, so it is important to use them on teeth that people can’t see. All-ceramic and all-porcelain crowns look beautiful and completely natural. They are an excellent solution for front teeth since the shade can be perfectly matched to the surrounding teeth. Patients get the benefit of being able to protect and strengthen a damaged tooth without looking like it. The challenge is that an all-ceramic or all-porcelain crown is not as durable as a metal one. There is a hybrid solution that works in many situations. Porcelain-on-metal crowns combine the best of both worlds since they look natural, but the metal portion underneath is durable. The only challenge is that the porcelain portion will often wear away long before the metal underneath. To find out which type of crown is best for you, speak with our experienced cosmetic dentist.
Dental crowns can also be used to create a bridge that replaces a missing tooth. In this procedure, a crown is placed on either side of the missing tooth in order to create a bridge that holds a new replacement tooth in place. This is a durable solution for people that have had a tooth fall out or one that needed to be removed due to infection. Fortunately, the bridge can also look completely natural.
These solutions will all strengthen and protect your damaged tooth, without appearing like restorative work was done. At Texas Dental West, we specialize in helping patients to stay in the best possible oral health. To learn more about the various ways we can improve your smile, call us and schedule a consultation.