Cosmetic Dentistry Options with Dental Crowns

In some form, dental crowns have been a part of dentistry for centuries. This treatment is an important restoration method for people who have severe tooth decay. Cosmetic dentistry also uses crowns to improve patients’ smiles. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your teeth, a crown could be the right solution. Your dentist has the knowledge and training to suit a crown to your needs.

An overview of dental crowns

A crown, sometimes known as a cap, covers the entire tooth. It protects a damaged or vulnerable tooth from suffering additional problems. Crowns also stabilize teeth and restore their form and function. In decades past, crowns were made of metal such as silver or gold. Today, however, crowns are usually made of ceramic or porcelain. This enables them to blend in with the surrounding teeth and have a natural look.

Crowns for damaged teeth

Teeth are meant to last a lifetime. They are made of the hardest substance in the body and can withstand tremendous force. This does not mean teeth are indestructible. Teeth can chip, crack, or even break from a hard blow to the face or biting into a hard object.

Crowns can be an effective treatment to repair this type of damage. The dentist will take X-rays and make impressions of the teeth to ensure that the crown is the right size and shape. It covers the damaged tooth and helps to prevent it from breaking or cracking even more. With proper care and maintenance, a crown should last up to 10 years or more.

For whiter teeth

Many adults struggle with discolored teeth. This can be an embarrassing condition and can make a person feel self-conscious. If a single tooth has staining or if a few teeth are discolored, crowns can change that. The dentist can create a crown to be the desired color shade to cover the stained tooth. Patients who choose this method for teeth whitening often do so for the front, more visible teeth.

For teeth straightening

There are multiple treatments to straighten crooked teeth. Using dental crowns can restore the proper shape and alignment of a misaligned tooth. After making impressions, the dentist will numb the patient and then shave the person’s tooth so the crown will fit properly. The crown will cover up the crooked, misshapen tooth and have a more uniform appearance.

Traditional or same-day crowns

Traditionally, patients had to go to the dentist’s office for multiple visits to get a dental crown. A technician would make the crown in a lab based on the impression the dentist took. However, today, more and more dentists have the technology to do same-day, in-office crowns. Instead of making impressions, the dentist will create a 3D image and send this information to a computer. The information then goes to a milling unit, which makes the crown out of a ceramic block.

Advantages of dental crowns

Dental crowns can improve the look of the damaged tooth. It can even enhance the tooth’s strength and function. The cap will protect the tooth from future damage. A dentist will recommend crowns to prevent tooth extraction. Here are the advantages of this dental restoration:

• It is a versatile form of treatment. A crown can correct many dental imperfections. It can cover stains, cracks, and chips. It can fill dental gaps and align crooked teeth. A patient with small teeth can gain bigger ones with caps as well.
• It can rescue a tooth with severe damage. Tooth decay, trauma, and stress can damage the outer layer of the tooth. These can weaken and break the tooth. The dentist can either extract it or place a crown over it. This will strengthen and protect the tooth. It can then become healthy and functional again.
• It can protect a tooth that has cavities. A good candidate for a dental crown is a tooth that has been treated for tooth decay many times. An onlay or dental filling cannot help it anymore. Having a dental crown over the tooth can prevent further damage from bacterial acids.
• It can protect the dead tooth from breaking apart. Pulpitis or tooth pulp infection can cause the inner tooth’s death. Root canal treatment can treat this infection. The problem is that when the pulp is gone, the tooth becomes weaker. The dentist will fill the pulp chamber and then cover the whole tooth with a dental crown. The cap with prevent the treated tooth from breaking into many pieces.

Making a new smile

Dental crowns are a significant part of dentistry. This treatment can repair damaged and decayed teeth, but a crown is also a way to improve the aesthetics of a tooth. If you are unhappy with the way your teeth look, talk to your dentist. You can transform your smile today, whether your teeth are crooked, discolored, or misaligned.

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