A dental crown is a custom-made restoration that fits perfectly over your damaged tooth. Think of it as a protective cap that restores a tooth’s shape, size, and strength. It’s crafted from high-quality materials like porcelain or ceramic.
The reasons for needing one can vary. But several common situations make a crown the best way to save your tooth and protect your oral health for the long term. Here, we’ll discuss the most common situations so you know when it’s time to get one.
Is a Dental Crown the Right Solution for You?
1. Protecting a Tooth After a Root Canal
A root canal is a procedure that removes the infected or inflamed soft tissue, or pulp, from inside your tooth. This treatment is highly effective at eliminating pain and saving the tooth from extraction. It also leaves the tooth structure hollowed out and more brittle.
Without its internal support, a root-canaled tooth is much more vulnerable to cracking or splitting apart. A dental crown is the final, crucial step in this process. It encases the entire visible portion of the tooth, acting as a new outer shell that redistributes biting forces.
This doesn’t just prevent the tooth from breaking. It also seals it off to protect it against new infections. You’ll be able to bite and chew with full confidence, just as you would with a healthy tooth.
2. When a Filling Isn’t Enough to Handle Severe Decay
We all know that cavities are typically treated with fillings. However, a filling won’t do when tooth decay is extensive and affects a large portion of the tooth. A large filling can actually weaken the remaining tooth structure, much like a large patch can weaken a wall. In these cases, the tooth is at a high risk of fracturing.
A dental crown provides a comprehensive solution by covering the entire tooth. This approach offers superior strength and stability compared to a large filling. The crown protects what remains of the natural tooth from the pressures of daily use. This protection also creates a solid barrier against bacteria and new decay.
It’s a long-term investment that helps you avoid more frequent repairs or even tooth loss down the road.
3. Repairing a Cracked, Chipped, or Broken Tooth
Teeth can crack or chip for many reasons: a fall, a sports injury, or biting down on a popcorn kernel. The cumulative stress of grinding your teeth at night can even crack teeth. Even a small hairline crack can deepen over time and cause pain, sensitivity to hot and cold, and a serious infection. A dental crown is often the ideal treatment for a significantly damaged tooth that’s still worth saving.
The crown is fabricated to hold the entire tooth together. This prevents the crack from propagating further. The result is a stabilized tooth, no more discomfort, and a normal-looking tooth. By choosing a crown, you’re often preventing more complex and expensive procedures later.
4. Fixing Worn-Down, Misshapen, or Severely Stained Teeth
Over the years, teeth can wear down because of acid erosion from foods and drinks, bruxism or teeth grinding, or simply age. This shortening of teeth can affect your bite, leading to jaw pain and headaches.
Crowns can rebuild these teeth to their proper height and contour, restoring a balanced and comfortable bite. Furthermore, crowns are a powerful cosmetic solution for teeth that are beyond the help of whitening.
Crowns are perfect for irreversibly stained, oddly shaped, and disproportionately small teeth. Your dentist can design a porcelain crown to match the exact color and shape of your neighboring teeth. This creates a harmonious, natural-looking smile while simultaneously strengthening the tooth itself.
5. Providing Essential Support for a Dental Bridge
When you lose a tooth, a dental bridge is a common and effective way to fill the gap. A bridge typically consists of a false tooth that’s anchored on either side by crowns placed on the adjacent teeth.
These supporting teeth, known as abutments, are carefully prepared to receive the crowns. The crowns on these teeth are not just covers. They’re the critical anchors that provide the stability and support the entire bridge needs to function correctly. Without these crowns, the bridge would be unstable and could damage the supporting teeth.
This restorative approach replaces your missing tooth and ensures the surrounding teeth are protected and strengthened. You’ll be able to eat, speak, and smile with security in no time.
Could a Crown Save Your Smile?
At Thompson Advanced Dentistry, our primary goal is to help you preserve your teeth for a lifetime. A damaged or weakened tooth doesn’t always mean extraction is the only option. A dental crown is a powerful treatment that can rescue a tooth from being lost, stop your pain, and restore function and beauty to your smile.
If tooth pain has you down, you have a large old filling, or have been told you have a cracked tooth, don’t wait for the problem to get worse. Call Dr. Joseph Thompson in Greeley today at 970-205-9614 or request an appointment online. Let’s see if a dental crown is the right solution to protect your smile.