Although the phrase crown implies royalty, dental crowns are for everybody. In fact, many people use dental crowns to give their teeth the royal treatment. After having a dental crown placed, your smile will look like royalty. This is because dental crowns can be used to fix a variety of tooth issues while preserving the natural tooth itself.
Dental crowns are too shaped caps that are made to fit over the entire top portion of an existing two. To place a dental crown, the existing tooth structure will first need to be prepared by removing any damaged or decayed tissue. Then the remaining structure will be shaped accordingly to ensure that the crown can fit on top. A dental impression will be taken and used to fabricate a custom-fitted dental crown, which will then be cemented over the top of the tooth.
By having a dental crown placed, you can fix the following problems:
Decayed Teeth
The most well-known problem that dental crowns can fix are decayed teeth. Dental crowns are used to restore decayed teeth when a significant amount of the tooth structure is affected and the tooth structure is weakened. In these cases, placing a dental crown helps to support the remainder of the tooth while providing additional protection. Dental crowns are also placed directly following a root canal for the same reasons.
Damaged Teeth
Besides fixing decayed teeth, dental crowns are also commonly used to fix damaged teeth. Damage to the teeth can occur accidentally or when a tooth has been weakened by decay. Whenever a tooth becomes chipped or cracked to the extent that it goes deeper than the enamel, your dentist may recommend having a crown placed to protect the inside of the tooth.
Imperfect Teeth
There are a variety of cosmetic imperfections that can affect the teeth, as well as the overall look of your smile. In these cases, dental crowns can be used as a cosmetic dental treatment to improve the aesthetics of your smile. Some imperfections that dental crowns can correct include stained teeth, unevenly sized teeth, and oddly shaped teeth. By correcting the color, size, and contour of your teeth, dental crowns can dramatically make over your entire smile.
Uneven Bite
In some cases, imperfect teeth can also have a functional effect. The most common example is when unevenly sized teeth negatively affect the bite. When the teeth are not evenly sized, this means that opposing teeth will not meet up correctly. This ultimately causes certain teeth to have more stress exerted on them than others. This also causes the bite to not sit evenly, which can strain the temporomandibular joint. Placing a dental crown in these cases helps to not only improve the look of your smile, but it levels out the bite to decrease the risk of future tooth damage and joint problems.
Tooth Sensitivity
The final problem that dental crowns can fix are sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth can occur when the protective layer of enamel wears down over time. Once this layer has worn down, stimuli are able to enter the inside of the tooth and irritate the nerve. By placing a dental crown, the crown acts as a protective shield that encapsulates the entire tooth. This ultimately prevents stimuli from being able to enter the tooth and cause sensitivity.
Dr. Admar holds dual certificates — a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in 2010 from India and a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in 2014 from Canada. He is now a full time practicing dentist in Kamloops where he provides a variety of services, including emergency dentistry. Dr. Admar spends hundreds of hours in continued dental education to stay up to date in cosmetic and implant dentistry and he has achieved several advanced qualifications.
