Dental Crown for Tooth Replacement 

Dental Crown – better than a false tooth?

Crowns are usually used as a tooth replacement procedure when it is too damaged and decayed, cracked or chipped to be fixed with a normal filling procedure. 

There are also other reasons why a dental crown will be used like if a bridge is needed, a crown will help to hold it in its proper place.

Also this type of dental treatment can be carried out purely for cosmetic reasons.

For example, a porcelain crown may be used to correct and make discoloured or misshapen teeth more pleasing in appearance and less embarrassing for the person. 

And some people even cap perfectly healthy teeth in gold as a status symbol.

Dental Crowns are designed to sit on top of a tooth’s structure and require extensive preparation before it can be properly affixed.

Usually a tooth that needs to be repaired will have to be made smaller to ensure the crown fits properly. When a tooth has deteriorated to the point it requires a crown, not much of the natural tooth remains, therefore it must first be built up by filling the tooth.

When the damage or decay to a tooth is extensive, the patient may first require a root canal to remedy an infection or inflamed pulp.

If this procedure isn't done, there will be an increased chance of losing the tooth.

A crown must be sized correctly or it will be useless, so after the underlying root and pulp issues have been addressed, the next step is to create an impression.

The tooth crown will be created from this mould of the tooth but to ensure the crowned tooth won't in any way affect the bite impressions of surrounding teeth will also be included.

Once the impressions are made, they will be sent to a laboratory where the permanent crown will be crafted from a number of different materials such as ceramic, metal or a combination of metal and porcelain.

Until the permanent crown is fitted a temporary crown made of stainless steel or plastic right there in the dentist office and then fitted to the tooth.

When the permanent dental crown is ready, you'll return to the dentist where the crown will be fitted and adjusted as necessary. When all is perfect, the crown is permanently attached to the tooth using cement.

After the tooth crown is put into place, you may still experience some problems such as sensitivity or discomfort. If this occurs it is best to return to your dentist to let him make an examination. The crown may require repositioning or if there still is a nerve under the crown, it may be reacting to hot and cold causing sensitivity.

A dental crown is a very durable dental treatment and it is quite common for one to last for decades.

However during that time some people may experience problems like chipping especially if it is porcelain.

Sometimes the cement will wear away, either partially or completely. If any of these problems do occur you will need to return to the dentist to have it addressed so bacteria and acids don’t get a chance to  leak onto the tooth if the crown becomes loose or falls out altogether opening the way for tooth decay.

As you can see dental crowns are an excellent remedy for many teeth problems and once fitted have very few maintenance problems…..no wonder they are more popular than false teeth these days.