Your Complete Guide to Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are another type of tooth restoration option that prevents the spread of decay and stops the growth of large cavities. To know why crowns are the ideal option for bringing your teeth back to health, read about their benefits below.

What Is A Dental Crown For? 

A dental crown procedure involves placing a “dental cap” over a tooth. Its purpose is to serve as a covering for the weakened tooth and as a coating against bacteria and debris that give rise to decay.

• Protective Shield

When decay spreads around a tooth, they erode parts of the enamel. They eventually erode the dentin until they reach the pulp and damage nerves. This causes the tooth’s structure to be on the verge of corrosion.

Dental crowns in Claremont, NH, shield teeth from further damage by holding their fragmented parts together.

• Teeth Restoration

Heavily worn-down teeth can still look healthy and new. It starts when the decaying parts of the tooth are removed through filing. Subsequently, the remaining surfaces are cleaned and further blunted. After an “impression” has been molded for the tooth, a permanent crown will be fastened to become part of the filed-down tooth.

• Secures Dental Bridge

A tooth crown is utilized to affix and cement a dental bridge in place. When the crooked and/or decaying tooth is filed and buffed, the crown is fitted as the cap of the anchoring tooth to further safeguard the bridge itself.

• Cosmetic Modification

One of the reasons why dental crowns are a favorite among patients is because of their amazing aesthetic. The components used in molding them have hues that are astonishingly close to that of natural teeth.

And with your dentist’s expert technique in adjusting and shaping it, the crown will blend in perfectly with the rest of your pearly whites.

• Comfortable Bite

Besides dental crowns, there are other types of restoration materials selected for repairing deteriorating teeth. Although they close off cavities and seal cracks efficiently, problems regarding chewing and biting sometimes emerge.

Patients may have difficulties eating solid food when their teeth are merely “filled.” Additionally, the maxillary (set of teeth on the upper jaw) and the mandibular (set of teeth on the lower jaw) lose their original alignment due to low-quality fillings.

Not so with dental caps. Crowns can be fashioned into the exact structure of teeth. That’s exactly what they are recognized for and the very reason why they are preferred. Your dental practitioner can create crowns not only to look identical to real teeth but also so that they will not affect your upper and lower jaw conjunction.

• Lower Risk of Decay

Dental crowns are essentially durable replacements for parts of teeth that have succumbed to cavities. They are made of either porcelain, metal, ceramics, or resin. All of which cannot be affected by food items that tend to cause tooth decay.

Although the practice of good oral hygiene should still be upheld, teeth safeguarded by dental crowns are less likely to incur cavities.

How To Take Care Of Dental Crowns

• Avoid Hard Food Items

Dental crowns are indeed much more resilient than regular teeth. However, they are not indestructible. You should avoid biting into foods that are very hard.

Moreover, using your teeth to open cans and bottles, walnut shells, and the like are highly destructive to crowns. These examples sound quite extreme, but many are in the habit of relying on their teeth caps as though they are shatterproof. Do not push them to their highest permissible point of breakage.

• Brush and Floss

Go back to the basics of brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing in between your teeth before heading to bed. These simple oral hygiene practices will keep tooth decay at bay and lengthen the life of your dental crowns and that of your natural teeth.

• Avoid Sugary Treats and Sticky Food

You already know that sugar is a tooth-killer. Well, controlled amounts of sugary treats are acceptable, granted that you brush your teeth soon after having them. But did you know that sticky food may affect the bonding integrity of tooth crowns, too?

They won’t deteriorate them. They will, however, weaken the bonding agent over time. Instead of having to revisit your dentist far into the future, sticky eats may force you to schedule an appointment for a re-crowning sooner than anticipated.

For more information about dental crowns or to schedule a consultation, contact Claremont Dental Group today.