What are dental crowns?
A kingwood dental crown is a dental restoration used to restore a tooth that might otherwise have been hopeless and requires extraction. Dental crowns can save a fractured tooth or one that has had such extensive decay that a simple filling or onlay would not suffice. If a tooth requires root canal therapy, a crown is usually used to restore that tooth. Implant crowns are made to replace an entire tooth and are screw into a dental implant that was surgically placed by an oral surgeon. Other uses for a dental crown include:
- Protect a fractured tooth from further damage
- Secure a dental bridge
- Restore a dental implant
- Restore a root canal treated tooth
- Restore a severely decayed tooth
- Protect a broken tooth
Fabrication of Dental Crowns
A tooth is prepared to receive a crown by removing a minute amount of tooth enamel on all surfaces. This process gives the dentist space to fit your crown on top of the tooth snuggly without crowding adjacent teeth.
Some offices have the tools and technology to fabricate porcelain crowns in the office, which allows you to leave after one appointment with your permanent porcelain restoration. Other offices rely on dental labs to fabricate the restoration, in which case you will be asked to come back for delivery (cement the crown in place) of your restoration.
How does a crown protect my tooth?
A compromised tooth needs protection, and a crown acts as a shell fitted over the tooth to protect it from further damage. Sometimes, your dentist may be able to use a three-quarter crown to save some natural tooth structure. A three-quarter crown does not cover the entire tooth beyond the gum line; instead, it covers 3/4 of the tooth.
An implant crown is a little different. Instead of being a shell that fits over a tooth, an implant crown is solid and replaces a tooth. Implant crowns have multiple parts: a crown, an abutment, and are secured onto a dental implant using either a screw or cement.
Depending on the location of the affected tooth, most patients opt to have their crown fabricated using porcelain or ceramic to look natural and match their other teeth. Porcelain is a strong material and more aesthetically pleasing than other options, but metal crowns are even more durable and can be ideal for patients who need a tooth replaced in the back of their mouth and those who have a strong bite.
How long do crowns last?
Dental crowns can last up to 30 years, and implant crowns can last a lifetime. As with most things, how long your crown lasts will depend on how well you care for and maintain your restorations and natural teeth. Oral hygiene is incredibly important to keep your restoration healthy and well-fitting. A tooth can develop decay under a crown, so make sure you maintain regular visits to your dental office and allow them to take your annual x-rays to make sure everything is in good shape.
If your crown should ever become loose or fall out, you must get to your dentist as soon as possible to have it re-cemented. The tooth is vulnerable when it not covered with its crown, and it can even shift, and then the crown would not fit.
More on Dental Crowns : Types of Dental Crowns
