Over the course of your life, your teeth will get damaged for a variety of reasons. Accidents and unexpected injuries, diseases, and natural decay can all lead to tooth damage. However, just because your teeth are damaged doesn’t mean you have to replace the whole tooth. Often, a dental crown is the best solution for repairing injured teeth.
A dental crown is a cap that is placed over your damaged teeth to restore both function and appearance. Modern dental crowns look just like regular teeth, and can chew food just as well as your natural teeth too. For damaged teeth, dental crowns are one of the most effective solutions.
When Would I Want to Consider a Dental Crown?
Typically, your dentist will perform a full mouth examination and take x-rays during your visit so they can come up with the best oral solutions for your teeth. Dental crowns are typically recommended to treat the following:
- Restoring a chipped or otherwise broken tooth.
- Protecting a chipped or otherwise weak tooth from further decay.
- Covering misformed or discolored teeth that can’t be fixed with veneers.
- Protecting a tooth that has been treated with a root canal.
- To be an anchor point for a dental bridge replacing missing teeth.
- To cover up teeth with large fillings or otherwise sensitive teeth.
What Will My Dental Crown Look Like?
Previously, dental crowns were made out of metal. Gold, silver, nickel, and several other combinations of metal were used due to their affordability, longevity, and natural strength. However, the metallic color of metal crowns made them unpopular for many dental patients. They wanted a more natural looking color for their teeth.
Today, the most popular dental crowns are made out of resin, ceramic, or porcelain. These dental crowns are indistinguishable from your natural looking teeth, and function just as well. The one disadvantage is that they don’t last quite as long as metal dental crowns.
However, with great oral hygiene practices, your dental crowns can last 15, 20, to even 30 years in some cases! Make sure you practice the following oral habits to maintain your crowns:
- Brushing your teeth at least twice a day.
- Brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush.
- Brushing for at least two minutes each session. Get those back teeth too!
- Flossing and using mouthwash daily after brushing at night.
- Eating a healthy diet, and limiting your consumption of sugary foods and drinks.
- Avoid chewing on ice, fingernails, and using your teeth to open packages.
- Scheduling dental teeth cleanings once every six months.
Ask SmileMakers About Dental Crowns Today!
Would you like to know more about dental crowns? Then consider scheduling an appointment with SmileMakers Comprehensive Dentistry. Located in Montgomery, Alabama, we offer a wide range of services to improve our patient oral hygiene. This includes general dentistry, restorative dentistry, and even cosmetic dentistry services.
Our team is happy to help all of our great community members obtain a brighter, healthier smile. So contact us today and learn why we’re called SmileMakers!