Five Uses of a Dental Crown

Dental crowns are incredibly versatile in their uses. They can blend in seamlessly with your natural smile and last for decades. These single-tooth prosthetics are carefully crafted to look like natural teeth and are fitted onto the damaged tooth to completely cover it (they are also known as caps).

To have one placed, the tooth receiving the crown will first have any decay removed, then be shaved down a small amount to make room for the crown. It will then be measured, and an impression will be taken of it to be used by a dental laboratory to create the crown. Materials used for crowns include gold alloys and porcelain. A temporary crown will be placed while waiting for the crown to be completed. Once it comes back from the dental lab, it is bonded to the tooth. Here are five ways a dental crown can save your smile.

• Repair a damaged tooth.

  Broken, chipped, or fractured teeth can take away from your smile’s appearance and are weakened from the damage. Dental crowns restore both appearance and functionality to a damaged tooth.

• Build up worn teeth.

  Teeth grinding due to bruxism or stress, or a bad bite can really wear down the teeth. Eventually, they can look short and even possibly make chewing difficult. Crowns can be placed to restore the natural shape and size of the worn teeth. If bruxism is an issue, the crowns – as well as the natural teeth – can be protected in the future by wearing a custom night guard.

• Anchor a dental bridge.

  Missing teeth are commonly replaced with a dental bridge. To have this prosthetic placed, dental crowns are needed to act as anchors for the pontic, or artificial tooth.

• Restore a dental implant.

  An alternative to dental bridges for replacing a missing tooth is a dental implant. This is a metal post that is inserted directly into the jawbone. Because the post itself cannot be used for chewing, it is covered with a crown. Dental implants are more stable than dentures or bridges, providing a bite force closest to natural teeth – up to 90%! Additionally, with proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime.

• Make a cosmetic improvement.

  Besides fixing damaged or missing teeth, crowns can also be used to improve the appearance of teeth, such as for a particularly yellowed tooth.

To find out if a dental crown is the best solution for you, book an appointment with our dentist at 14th Avenue Dentistry in Markham, ON, to discuss treatment options.