Dental Crowns: What They Are and How They Can Help You
Dental crowns are a phenomenal way to help protect any fragile teeth you might have to prevent them from breaking or having extreme sensitivity. However, many are often unaware of just what these dental items are and how they work. Below you’ll find more information about what they are and how they can help you have a more flattering and beautiful smile.
What are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is an item that works like a cap for a pre-existing tooth. You can take this crown and slide it over your tooth where it gets to work helping to mold the tooth back to its normal shape and encourage it to grow stronger roots. These crowns are typically needed if your teeth are suffering from massive cavities, sensitivity, discoloration, or if you’ve had a root canal.
Types of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns come in three different types: porcelain/metal, ceramic, and gold. While these work to achieve the same purpose, they are slightly different from each other.
Porcelain/Metal Crowns
A porcelain/metal crown is tougher than a ceramic crown as it’s intended for larger teeth, like your molars. They have a metal structure built into the bottom of them to help them better secure themselves onto your teeth. This type is a little more noticeable than a ceramic crown, but isn’t very much so.
Ceramic Crowns
A ceramic crown is a more delicate type of crown and is intended to help restore teeth in the front area of your mouth. They tend to be hollow so they easily slide over your tooth to help it. They also have a more natural tooth color which helps the crown to blend in better.
Gold Crowns
Gold crowns are more noticeable, but help your teeth to be stronger compared to the other types. This type is very durable so there’s no need to worry about them breaking easily.
Benefits of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns come with plenty of benefits. One is that they can help to better support teeth which can lead to you have a better smile. They can also help to keep a broken tooth intact as they work to help fuse the tooth back together so there’s no need of you needing a tooth replacement. In addition to this, discolored teeth can be given a shiny white look and crowns can even help to make irregularly shape teeth look normal.
What to Keep in Mind
While dental crowns are safe to use, they do have some things you need to keep in mind. For instance, the materials could cause an allergic reaction and irritation for some. Also, if the crown isn’t properly cared for it could end up making chewing uncomfortable and even cause an infection. Because of this, you’ll want to be in constant contact with your dentist to ensure everything goes smoothly.
While dental crowns are designed to last and are easy to maintain, they do need to be routinely checked by your dentist who can work to make sure there are no fractures and the crown still fits your tooth well. Be sure to keep the information above in mind to ensure that you choose the best dental crown for your needs.
