Crowns can be made out of; composite resin, all-porcelain/all-ceramic, zirconia, or porcelain on the outside bonded to metal or zirconia on the inside, stainless steel, gold alloy, etc.
Need of dental crowns
A crown could be used for a variety of reasons; following are the most common situations:
1. Root canal: Root canal treatment pre-disposes the residual tooth to cracking. So, after having root canal done, tooth is required to be restored with a crown straightaway, to prevent it from fracturing. A crown provides the final touch after a root canal. It seals the tooth and strengthens it for the long term.
2. Large filling: A tooth is required to be covered with a crown when it has a cavity or fracture that is half the width of the tooth or more. This is done because the remaining tooth around the filling is so fragile that it gets susceptible to fractures.
At times, when the tooth shows signs of cracks or stress around the filling it is required to be replaced with a crown.
3. Cracked tooth syndrome: In this condition, a patient has fractures inside a tooth, which causes pain when the food is chewed. Chewing produces stress on these fracture lines that makes it feel like if it is splitting apart. Crown in such conditions helps in holding the tooth together and distribute the stress evenly throughout the tooth, thus eliminating the pain in most of the cases. In such situations, it is best to go with temporary crown on for a while to make sure that the tooth doesn't require a root canal.
4. Too much wear-away of teeth: Some people have the habit of grinding their teeth, thus the teeth gets shorter over time. Other cases that can wear away the teeth are: acid erosion caused by gastrointestinal acid reflux (GERD), an acidic diet or bulimia. The only way to restore the teeth in such cases is by covering the teeth with crowns.
5. Unacceptable appearance of teeth: Teeth that have undesirable appearance due to shape, color or spaces between them, can be made natural looking and appealing with crowns.
6. Broken cusp: These breakdowns affect the pointed chewing surfaces of the teeth. Crown or onlay will be required to repair the damage and restore the tooth's shape.
7. Others: Dental implants require crowns to restore spaces left from missing teeth. In cases where the teeth are loose; crowns are placed on multiple teeth and splinted together to provide more strength and stability.
Dental crown lasts on average from 10 to 20 years. They are still exposed to cavities and fracture, so it is important to take extra care while brushing and flossing around the crowned teeth.
The crown are used for a variety of reasons, may it be your desire to improve the appearance of your tooth or to prolong its life, it is one of the best dental treatments that can be relied upon. Dr. Shahin Safarian can answer all your queries regarding Dental crowns in San Diego.
Comments
What an insightful article on dental crowns! Tips and ideas are really helpful and effective. If the tooth has broken down significantly a crown is usually the better option. If the fillings are large, you are better off with a crown. This will be better protection for the tooth. A well maintained dental crown can last 10-15 years if not more. Dental hygiene is very important to maintain a dental crown. Good sharing.
Crowns are caps that cover the teeth that are used to support a bridge. The teeth that bookend the gap are used to support the bridge. Bridges supported by crowns last longer, and take less time to install. But in order to place them properly, some of your original tooth structure will need to be removed.