Crowns

Why do I need a crown?

There are a number of reasons why we may recommend your tooth receive a crown. You may have heard it termed a “cap” before as well but they are the same thing. A dental crown is a restoration usually made by a lab out of porcelain that covers over the top of your tooth. It gives the appearance of a natural tooth and can add strength to a weak tooth. Below are some of the reasons why we may recommend you receive a dental crown:

Large filling: When a filling is taking up the majority of your tooth, the tooth will be very prone to breaking, as we are asking that filling to do a lot of work to support your tooth. Sometimes when a tooth breaks, we are unable to fix it, so it is best to try to prevent the breakage in the first place. In this instance a crown will cover over the tooth and protect it from breaking as well as minimize the chance of a future cavity.

 Root canaled tooth: If your tooth has a root canal it means a hole needed to be drilled through it to access the nerve of the tooth. This also means the tooth no longer has a blood supply bringing it nutrients. Because of these things your tooth becomes brittle and is more prone to breaking. This is why we usually recommend a crown (especially on back teeth) if you receive a root canal. The crown will help ensure that the time and money you invested into saving your tooth does not go to waste.

Cracked tooth syndrome: If your tooth has pain to cold and/or biting you may have cracked tooth syndrome. This means that there is a stress fracture in your tooth that is starting to split the tooth apart. By crowning your tooth we can help hold it together so the crack does not grow any further.

Appearance of teeth: Dental crowns can be used to improve the appearance of teeth whether it be due to deep discoloration, poor shape, or malpositioned teeth. Depending on your specific needs you may even be a candidate for dental veneers; these are essentially crowns that only cover the fronts of the teeth. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your teeth and wish to improve them ask us what your best options are and we would be more than happy to go over your options!