Dental Crowns
Ferndale, WA
 A lot of different things can happen to our teeth, so at Dentistry with Smiles we prepare for everything. When a tooth becomes damaged either by trauma or decay or if there is not enough of it left for it to be structurally sound, we can often save the tooth with a dental crown. Dental crowns are essentially caps that look and feel like a real tooth that we place over the top of your natural tooth. This crown simultaneously protects your teeth from further damage and gives you the form and function of your full tooth back.
Reasons You May Need a Dental Crown
There is a variety of reason people end up needing dental crowns, some of the more common reasons are:
| • |
Fractured and broken teeth due to blunt force trauma
|
| • |
Teeth that have suffered extensive decay
|
| • |
Teeth that are no longer aesthetically pleasing
|
| • |
Failed amalgam fillings
|
| • |
To protect a tooth that has undergone a root canal
|
Most of those reasons are self-explanatory. Some extra explanation may be required to describe why a crown would be needed following the failure of an amalgam filling. Amalgam (silver) fillings are common in the molars. They are notable because of how large they must be to be successful. As with any restoration, amalgam fillings will eventually fail given enough time and when they do they leave a very large hole in the tooth. Sometimes we can fill that tooth back in with confidence that the tooth will maintain its structural integrity. Other times we will recommend that a crown be placed over a tooth to ensure that it remains viable.
What Dental Crowns Are Made Of
Crowns can be crafted from a wide variety of materials to achieve some different goals. The material that we choose to make your crown out of will depend upon a few factors. The most important factor is which tooth will have the crown and what it’s function is.
Front (Anterior) Teeth
If we need to place a crown on one of the teeth that are a big part of your smile, we will usually consider using a material that is aesthetically very similar to the look of a natural tooth. Porcelain is a more fragile material used for making crowns, but the front teeth don’t see the same stressed as the molars. Because porcelain looks so similar to a natural tooth, we might use it to restore an anterior tooth that needs a crown. Porcelain is also commonly used for dental veneers, another treatment sometimes used to restore teeth with minor imperfections.
Rear (Posterior) Teeth
Molars see most of the action when it comes to chewing things. The molars are subjected to tremendous pressure when we bite down on foods or clench out teeth. The materials that we use for crowns that will be placed on molars must be able to stand up to these pressures for many years. Ceramic and Zirconia crowns have very high durability and can match the look of teeth accurately. Gold is also a great option for those who enjoy the aesthetic appeal of gold and want a long-lasting crown.
Call us today at (360) 312-3187 to schedule an appointment.
|
