If you have a tooth that needs to be restored, your dentist may use a dental crown to aid in the restoration. Still, before a dental crown is applied, a few questions may be asked. The answers to these questions can help determine the type of crown that will be selected.
Here a few questions that dentists consider before installing a dental crown:
Where in the mouth will the crown be placed?
The location of a dental crown in the mouth determines whether or not the crown will be easily seen. Although the color of a crown in the rear of the mouth may matter little to a patient, if a crown is located in the front of the mouth, a tooth-colored crown may be preferred.
Tooth-colored crowns are made of materials that can be matched to the color of the patient's other teeth. These materials include porcelain, resin, and porcelain-over-metal.
Crown materials that are often used for rear teeth include stainless steel, gold, and other metals. The metals offer strength and durability and tend to be nonabrasive to adjacent teeth.
Is the crown being placed on a permanent or primary tooth?
Dental crowns that are applied to primary teeth are usually made of stainless steel. The material is inexpensive when compared to many other crown materials. In addition, the color of the crown is less important, regardless of where the device will be located in the mouth.
Primary teeth are eventually shed. The crown materials that are connected to a restored primary tooth will be lost with the tooth.
What type of application is the crown being used for?
Dental crowns may be used for a number of dental applications, such as the following:
- Reparation of a cracked or chipped tooth
- Covering a tooth after a root canal
- Covering a large filling
- Covering a dental implant for a single tooth restoration
Many dental implants are covered by porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. These materials are tooth-colored and durable. A cracked tooth may be covered by practically any crown material, depending on the cosmetic preferences of the patient. A resin crown may not be as durable as the other crown materials, but it can provide sufficient protection to a cracked tooth while also offering the aesthetic appeal of a tooth-colored restoration.
For more information about dental crowns and how they can be used to restore your teeth, schedule a consultation with a dental office like Webster Cosmetic Dental LTD.
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