The dental crown is the white or off-white part of the tooth visible in the mouth. It covers and protects the natural tooth root or dental implant and other structures beneath it. The crown can withstand years of pressure from biting, grinding, and chewing. However, it can get worn, damaged or decayed from injury, trauma, teeth grinding, and poor oral hygiene. Your experienced family dentist in Toledo, Maumee, Holland, or Perrysburg, OH, probably already explained this to you and may have recommended a replacement crown. If so, it's time to learn about 5 benefits of dental crowns that will having you smiling from ear to ear.
#1. Improves Chewing
It can be difficult to tear, bite, and chew foods properly with a decayed tooth or the uneven surface of a chipped tooth. You may also experience pain when biting or chewing if there are cavities in the crown. A new crown helps resolve these issues and allow you to enjoy more of the foods you love. Being able to grind and chew your foods properly also helps to improve digestion.
#2. Preserves the Tooth
The crown covers the cementum, tooth root, pulp, and other sensitive tissue that make up the tooth. When the tooth is decayed or cracked, bacteria can easily enter and infect the underlying structures or weaken the tooth. Your dentist will fit and bond the new crown over these structures to stop bacterial infection and prevent the tooth from breaking or falling out. Crowns are also used to protect adjacent teeth when attaching a dental bridge.
#3. Protects a Root Canal
Your dentist may recommend a replacement crown as part of a root canal procedure. The surgical procedure is done to clean the root canals or remove the diseased tooth pulp. This helps stop the infection and further decay. However, the dentist has to drill through the crown to access these canals. A new crown is usually needed if the natural crown can no longer protect the tooth.
#4. Protects a Dental Implant
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root used to replace a lost natural tooth. The implant post looks like a screw and is currently the gold standard for tooth-restoration. Your implant specialist will cover the prosthetic root with a crown as part of the procedure for it to look, feel, and function like your natural teeth. You can also restore a damaged implant crown.
#5. Enhances Your Smile
Patients get crowns for medical, restorative, or cosmetic purposes and like that they can last between 10-20 years with good care. Whatever your reason is, a dental crown is bound to improve the shape, size, strength, and appearance of your teeth. You can finally say "goodbye" to chipped, cracked, discolored, stained, crooked, misshaped, or uneven teeth that made you hide your smile.
Crown Restoration at Light Touch Dental Care
The process of replacing your crown at Light Touch Dental Care in Holland, OH, is usually straightforward. At your appointment, our dentist, Dr. Natalie Nechvatal, will perform a comprehensive oral exam to determine if you need a full crown or partial crown (onlay). We will then send a mold of your teeth for the lab to create the most natural-looking crown from ceramic, porcelain, or another material. Call 419-866-4271 to request an appointment today.
