Learn how dental crowns can enhance your oral health in 7 different ways.
Dental crowns are one of the most common forms of restorative dentistry, second only to fillings in how frequently they’re performed. Due to their popularity, you’re probably already familiar with what a crown is and you may have had one in the past. But what you may not know is how versatile crowns truly are when it comes to functional and cosmetic applications.
Dr. Lang uses porcelain crowns for many different purposes, both as a standalone solution to treat a single tooth and as part of a more complex solution like a dental bridge.
Here are the top 7 ways you can improve your smile, functionally and cosmetically, with a dental crown.
1. Permanently whiten a severely stained or discolored tooth.
Professional dental whitening treatments can lift decades of yellowing, but some stains and discoloration simply can’t be removed. Trauma from a past tooth injury or health conditions like celiac disease can leave teeth with permanent discoloration.
In the event of a badly tarnished tooth, a porcelain crown is an extremely effective fix, especially if you’re otherwise happy with your smile. As an added bonus, if your tooth’s discoloration is related to enamel trouble, your new porcelain crown will strengthen it as well.
2. Save a damaged tooth that may otherwise need an extraction.
Dental crowns help save millions of teeth from extraction every year. When a tooth has been badly damaged, chipped, or broken, something like a filling simply won’t work. In this situation, a dental crown will be used to treat the tooth and renew its strength.
As long as you have a small amount of salvageable tooth structure and healthy roots, a dental crown will often be the go-to solution.
3. Protect a weak tooth after a root canal or extensive decay removal.
Similar to the previous situation, dental crowns are also commonly used in cases of extensive decay removal. If Dr. Lang removes a significant portion of decay and discovers the remaining hole is simply too large to risk a filling, a dental crown will be placed instead.
Dental crowns are also a necessity after a root canal has been done. Root canals save teeth but result in the natural tooth being left very brittle, like a peanut shell with the nut removed. After a root canal, Dr. Lang will cover your tooth with a porcelain crown to ensure it’s protected and fully functional.
4. Restore your ability to chew comfortably on a sensitive tooth.
Have you ever experienced sensitivity when eating your favorite ice cream or sipping a hot cup of coffee? Sometimes a tooth may look healthy, but weakened enamel can send a lightning bolt of brief but intense pain when eating hot and/or cold foods.
If Dr. Lang determines that your sensitivity is being caused by one or two teeth, porcelain crowns can permanently alleviate your pain. With minimal prep and new porcelain crowns, your teeth will look natural, and you’ll enjoy the foods you love without pain.
5. Form a beautiful, realistic tooth to top your new dental implant.
Dental implants are the most natural solution for missing teeth. The dental implant itself is a specialized titanium post, but the actual fake tooth that tops it is a porcelain dental crown.
Once Dr. Lang has determined your dental implant post is healed and ready to move forward, you’ll have an abutment placed to form the foundation of your new teeth. From there, a permanent porcelain crown will cap it similarly to how a natural tooth is covered.
6. Strengthen teeth that will perform as anchors for a dental bridge.
If you and Dr. Lang decide a dental bridge is the best choice for replacing your missing teeth, dental crowns will also play a role. A dental bridge or pontic is placed in the gap between two teeth. These anchor teeth are capped with porcelain crowns to ensure they’re strong enough to support the pontic.
7. Reshape worn, chipped, or otherwise cosmetically flawed teeth.
Dental crowns are often categorized as a restorative dentistry procedure, but they can serve cosmetic purposes very well.
While extensive treatment, like porcelain veneers, are great for total smile makeovers, many patients only have a few troublesome teeth they’d like reshaped rather than their whole smile. If you have teeth that are chipped, worn down, or misshapen, a porcelain dental crown is a great way to recreate the look of the tooth with minimal invasiveness.
Book an appointment with Dr. Lang to see how your smile can benefit from dental crowns.
If you’re curious to see how porcelain crowns can improve your smile, it’s time to book a visit with Dr. Lang and his dental team.
Dr. Lang will evaluate your oral health and see how we can help you get a healthier smile. You’ll also discuss which cosmetic flaws may be bothering you. By the end of your evaluation, you’ll have the knowledge you need about dental crowns and general dental care to feel confident in moving forward with a treatment plan.
To book your visit, just give our office a call or fill out this online appointment request form.