You may know that dental fillings are often used to treat cavities, but do you know what purposes dental crowns serve? Many people don’t realize that crowns can actually be used as part of a number of restorative and prosthetic treatments, from protecting fragile teeth to replacing missing ones. If you’ve recently suffered a particularly bad cavity, or have scheduled an extraction, if you’ve lost a tooth to gum disease or have been told you need a root canal, chances are you may soon be fitted with a dental crown.
What will a dental crown look like?
It depends which option you choose. Another thing many patients don’t realize is that dental crowns now come in a variety of materials, giving you options for how to restore your smile.
While metal was long considered the standard form of crown, modern advancements have provided more esthetically pleasing and equally strong alternatives, like porcelain and zirconia.
For instance, if you’ve lost a front tooth, or want to effectively protect a visibly chipped tooth, a porcelain dental crown can be made to closely match your natural teeth. This helps provide a nearly seamless form of restoration.
If, however, the missing or damaged tooth is a highly used back molar, you may prefer the durability of metal and not mind its addition to your smile.
When is a crown helpful?
Dental crowns are frequently used as restorative treatment to help protect a tooth after root canal treatment, but they can also be used to protect tooth made fragile after a cavity, those that are chipped or cracked or otherwise weakened.
Crowns also make excellent forms of prosthetic treatment, as part of a dental bridge or a dental implant. Both provide stable and beautiful ways to complete smiles after tooth loss.
Recent Comments