A dental crown, or cap, is one of the best ways to preserve weak or damaged tooth. Tooth-shaped and durable, this porcelain restoration avoids extraction, anchors fixed bridges, tops off a tooth saved by root canal therapy and restores state-of-the-art dental implants. Should your tooth have a crown? Read on about how family dentist, Dr. Robert Beckelman, places crowns at Leading Dental Care in Garden City, NY.
Your poor tooth!
It's not what it used to be, is it? If you're like millions of Americans, you have one or more teeth threatened by:
- Oral injury
- Deep decay or multiple fillings
- Abscess
- Poor shape or deficient size
Is extraction the only answer? Thankfully, no, it's not; your family dentist in Garden City has other options, and a predictable and familiar one is the dental crown.
For generations, dentists such as Dr. Beckelman have used dental crowns to support, cover and protect failing teeth. Previously, gold and metal alloys were the materials of choice. While these could be fashioned into a tooth-shaped cap to fit over remaining tooth structure, their aesthetic value was poor. Also, porcelain fused to metal featured a dark line where gums meet the tooth--a noticeable detractor on a fully restored tooth.
Today's dental crowns
They are custom-fabricated from lifelike porcelain, a resilient and attractive material which comes in a variety of colors. Oral examination and X-rays tell Dr. Beckelman if your tooth is healthy enough to receive a crown. (Sometimes, a tooth needs a root canal treatment to remove diseased pulp.)
If it is, he'll take digital or conventional impressions and shape the tooth to accept the crown. Then, he'll cover the tooth with a temporary restoration. When the new crown returns from the dental lab, the dentist removes the temporary cap and uses a strong adhesive to bond the permanent one over the tooth.
The more natural tooth structure remaining, the stronger the crowned tooth will be. All in all, crowns last many years before they require replacement.
Other uses for crowns
Crowns play a significant role in tooth replacement. For instance, your dentist uses crowns to restore dental implants. After insertion of a titanium implant, a metal abutment and porcelain crown finish this highly effective artificial tooth.
Also, crowns attach pontic, or artificial teeth, to neighboring teeth. Say, for instance, someone is missing two adjoining teeth. The dentist would prepare the natural teeth on either side of the gap to receive dental crowns. Then, a two-tooth bridge and two crowns would be placed to span the space.
Find out more
If one of your teeth is questionable, ask Dr. Beckelmen about restoring it with a porcelain crown. You have everything to gain by keeping as much natural tooth structure as you can, and the team at Leading Dental Care is happy to help. To book an appointment to learn more, contact us at (516) 256-2424.