All the Unique Facts You Need to Know About Dental Crowns

Dental issues such as stained, decayed, chipped, or broken teeth can negatively impact your smile and make you a bit more self-conscious when laughing, smiling, or interacting with other people.

You will be amazed to know that you are not alone. Several people visit our dentist in Covington, GA, looking for ways to improve their smiles and boost their confidence or for ways to protect damaged teeth from incurring further damage.

Restorative dentistry offers our patients a solution to enhance their smiles and protect any damaged, decayed and weakened teeth from exposure to more damage.

One of the most versatile restoration appliances our dentist in Covington, GA, offers is the dental tooth crowns.

What Is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown can simply be described as a tooth-shaped prosthetic that is set over tooth crowns of damaged, decayed, misshapen or discolored teeth to restore the appearance and functionality of the affected teeth.

It can also be referred to as a tooth cap, and it’s used to entirely cover up the visible portion of the tooth crowns right above the gum line level.

Why Should You Get a Dental Crown?

You may need to get a dental crown under any of the following circumstances:

• If you need to strengthen a weak and decayed tooth
• To restore and reinforce a tooth that has received a large filling.
• To conceal severely discolored or stained teeth.
• To restore the functionality and appearance of broken, chipped, or fractured teeth.
• To cover your dental implant.
• To conceal misshaped teeth.
• For cosmetic alterations
• If you need to realign and improve your bite
• If you have had to undergo a root canal procedure
• To hold your dental bridge in position.

Dental Crown Types Available

Several dental crown types are available for you to choose from. Your selection should be determined by factors such as:

• The position of the affected tooth
• If the dental crown you desire is durable and long-lasting
• The aesthetic appeal of the dental crown
• Cost
• Biocompatibility to the dental crown material

Dental crowns can be fashioned from different materials. Here are some of the currently most common dental crown types in dentistry:

Metallic Dental Crowns

Crowns in this category are fabricated from metal alloys that may include metals such as gold, platinum, nickel, cobalt, and chromium.

Metallic crowns are famous for their strength, which goes a long way in ensuring they are a durable and long-lasting option. They do not wear down quickly and can withstand a lot of biting or grinding force.

Even though they last long, metal crowns have become less popular among patients due to their conspicuous nature and lack of aesthetic appeal.

They can only be used for restoration procedures being conducted on back teeth, as this will keep them out of sight and make them less conspicuous. These dental crowns also have to be compatible with you, or else they elicit an allergic reaction post-procedure.

Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain crowns are a trendy option among patients due to its ability to be both comfortable and functional. They are made of porcelain entirely, and they have such a natural look and feel, making them inconspicuous.

Our dentist can even get the right crown to resemble your surrounding teeth in terms of shape, color, and size. They are a viable choice for patients who have an allergic reaction to metal.

Their natural look makes them an excellent option during the restoration of both front and back teeth; however, they are not as strong as metal crowns and may not be a good option for people who suffer from bruxism.

Porcelain- Fused –to- Metal Crowns

Were designed by fusing porcelain and metal. The aim was to produce a dental crown that possessed the natural look and feel of a porcelain crown but had the tensile strength of a metal crown.

They are a popular option due to their durability and aesthetic appeal and are less costly than all-porcelain crowns. However, they tend to form a greyish looking line right above the gum line.

What Issues Should You Anticipate After Getting A Dental Crown?

Here are some predominate problems that our dentist will walk you through before getting your dental restoration procedure done:

• Tooth sensitivity

Your new dental crown may induce some tooth sensitivity right after the procedure. This means that it will be slightly uncomfortable for you when taking hot or cold drinks and food. Our dentist may recommend using a toothpaste that will alleviate this sensitivity.

• A loose Crown

This occurs when the bonding agent erodes from underneath the dental crown, leaving it loose and making your tooth susceptible to decay.

• Chipped crowns

Mainly occurs with porcelain or porcelain fused with metal crowns. You should alert our dentist, who depending on the extent of the damage, will either fix it or replace it altogether.

• Dark Lines Forming Next To Your Gumline

This occurs with metal infused porcelain crowns. It does not have health implications, but it is just aesthetically unsightly. Our dentist may consider swapping the crown with an entire porcelain crown to deal with this issue.

At Creative Dentistry of Covington we have a wide variety of crowns, visit us today and we will help restore your smile.