How Dental Crowns Can Help Your Smile

Everyone wants a beautiful, white, and healthy smile. But sometimes dental injuries happen. Teeth cracks, chips, breaks, and decay are the most common dental injuries. Thanks to improved dental innovations, there are solutions to fix such issues, like dental crowns. This article will help you understand what dental crowns are, their uses, and how they can enhance your smile.

What are Dental Crowns? Are you a Good Candidate?

A dental crown is a small, tooth-colored dental device placed over damaged teeth to improve their shape, size, strength, appearance, and function. Typically, a crown covers the entire visible part of the damaged tooth, holding together tooth chips, cracks, breaks, and fractures. A crown also hides deep teeth discoloration.

Dental crowns are also effective in supporting and protecting weakened or severely damaged teeth. They are attached to anchor teeth when getting a dental bridge. After a root canal treatment, they also cover a tooth for added strength and protection. Furthermore, a crown covers and protects a dental implant.

Crowns are made out of various materials such as ceramic, porcelain, gold, metal alloys, resin, silver, zirconia, and porcelain-fused-to-metal. Metal and gold crowns are strong and durable and are best suited for back teeth restorations due to their poor aesthetics. If you’re interested in strength and good aesthetics, zirconia, porcelain, ceramic, and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are ideal options. You should choose the best crown material based on your condition, budget, and desired needs.

How Dental Crowns Improves your Smile

They fix dental issues. A crown can repair decayed, chipped, broken, or fractured teeth.

Brighten your smile. Sometimes stubborn stains or discoloration may not respond to teeth whitening, bonding, or veneers. In such cases, a porcelain or ceramic crown can improve the tooth’s appearance, giving you a brighter smile.

Strengthen weakened teeth. If your tooth is worn out or decayed, a crown can be placed over the tooth. It restores your normal functions and provides you with a beautiful and healthy smile.

Steps to Getting Dental Crowns

The dental crowns procedure usually takes one or two dental appointments. The steps involved include:

• The dentist begins by examining your tooth. If necessary, they may take x-rays and molds of your damaged tooth beforehand.
• Next, the dentist prepares the damaged tooth for the crown. The dentist files down the tooth to remove a tiny part of the tooth’s enamel.
• Impressions and images of the trimmed tooth and surrounding teeth are taken and sent to a dental lab to create the customized crown.
• A temporary crown is placed over the trimmed tooth for protection.
• If the dentist has the technology to make same-day crowns, you won’t need the temporary crown. Instead, the dentist takes digital scans of your mouth and makes the crown right there in the office. The crown is fitted, and you’ll be ready to go home immediately.
• If you get the temporary crown, you’ll have to wait for several weeks.
• The dentist will remove the temporary crown and cement the permanent crown to the tooth when the customized crown comes in.

If you opt for same-day crowns, ask your dentist if the option is available and the estimated cost.

Crowns Can Last a Long Time

Generally, an average dental crown can last anywhere from 10-30 years. Factors that may determine the lifespan of a dental crown include:

• Material of the crown. Metal and gold crowns are more durable than porcelain and ceramic crowns.
• Oral hygiene. Poor dental hygiene and habits can shorten your crown’s lifespan.
• Location of the crowned tooth. The back teeth are intended for grinding and chewing foods. Crowns placed on the back teeth are likely to wear down much faster than those placed on front teeth.
• How well the crown was placed. Ensure you work with a qualified dentist with many years of dental practice to ensure long-lasting results.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you looking for dental crown services near you? Contact Newburyport Family Dental for more information.