A dental crown is a cap/cover that fits over your tooth. The materials and technology available to dentists today allow us to provide patients with crowns that look virtually identical to their natural teeth! So…when might your dentist recommend a crown for your dental concerns?

Restore Strength

A dental crown may be recommended by your dentist to help restore strength to your tooth. Strength can be lost due to a large cavity or restoration (filling), a crack, a fracture, or a chip. While a direct restoration (filling) is the preferred method to repair small cavities, sometimes the area of decay/compromised tooth structure is too large, requiring a more durable restoration.  A crown is made out of a dental material that is stronger than a direct restoration (filling), so it’s more ideal for cases involving a large amount of missing/compromised tooth structure.

Improve Appearance

In some cases, a dental crown can actually look better than your natural tooth! If you have a severely discolored or damaged tooth (think: accident involving the front teeth or antibiotic usage as a kid) you may choose a crown to cover up the damage. Your new crown will blend in seamlessly with the rest of your teeth, so you’ll be the only one who knows it’s there!

Assist Another Dental Restoration

Crowns are often used if you require another dental restoration, like an implant or a bridge.  Implants and dental bridges are used when there is a missing tooth/teeth, causing a gap between teeth.  Even if your gap is not visible (meaning that it’s in the back of your mouth), it’s still important to replace the missing tooth/teeth in the space, to prevent your other teeth from shifting and/or causing an irregular bite. An implant is a structure that is designed to replace a missing tooth or teeth, and is placed inside the bone to do so. A crown can then be placed over the top of the implant to cover it, creating a new, fully functioning tooth. A bridge literally bridges the gap or gaps between teeth! This type of restoration requires two crowns, one on either side of the gap, to support the prosthesis. Feel free to talk with us about when you might benefit from a dental crown or other restoration. Contact Schultz Family Dental today to set up your appointment with Dr. Schultz!