How healthy are your teeth? Although many people are quick to underestimate their dental health, the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of different elements that play into overall dental wellness. From how often you brush and floss to how regularly you attend regular checkups, it is important to stay in close communication with your dentist, especially if you come down with a new symptom. The purpose of this website is to help people to understand and resolve dental issues, since small symptoms can lead to big problems down the road. Check out these posts to learn more about dental care.
Nobody wants to have a dental crown placed on a tooth, but it's sometimes a necessity due to an ongoing oral health problem. Here are 4 situations that would require you to get a dental crown.
Root Canal
One of the most common reasons that people get a dental crown is because they need to have a root canal performed on one of their teeth. This process is essentially going to hollow out the tooth and cause it to be weak. However, the root of the tooth will still remain in the jawbone, which is good for the overall health of your jaw since it receives the stimulation that it needs to stay healthy. Rather than just pull the tooth that needs a root canal, your dentist will try to protect it by placing a dental crown on top of it. The goal of having the crown will be to ensure that the natural tooth does not become further damaged, and avoid the need for a dental bridge, partial denture, or implant.
Broken Tooth
Did you have a tooth that broke off from trauma or biting on something hard? The root of the tooth is likely still in your jawbone, but a large part of the tooth above your gums is missing. If the dentist is able to preserve a large portion of the broken tooth, they'll place a crown on top of it. Much like with a root canal, the dentist will want to maintain that natural tooth whenever possible.
Dental Bridge
A dental bridge is going to replace a missing tooth by creating a bridge between the two healthy teeth that surround it. This requires placing crowns on both of these healthy teeth to form a bridge that suspends the fake tooth. It's a common dental procedure that can provide lasting results, but is also cheaper than having a dental implant placed in your jaw.
Cosmetic Issues
Some patients use a dental crown to hide cosmetic issues with their teeth. If they have a tooth that is misshapen, chipped, or discolored, it is possible to hide the damage with a dental crown. As long as the tooth is healthy, a crown will hide the damage by extending to the gum line and completely covering the problematic tooth. This can be a great way to fix cosmetic damage to a tooth that cannot be fixed with whitening or another cosmetic procedure.
For more information, contact a dental clinic like Sun Dental.