Crowns
Instead Of Additional Fillings:
Alternatives
should be considered when a filling
reaches the end of its life. Normally the best choice is switching to a
crown. Unlike a filling, a crown covers and protects a damaged tooth
and can keep it from breaking.
In
the illustration below, shown is that the edges of these small fillings
have broken and losttheir seal. In this case, since
most of the tooth is still intact, it is quite appropriate to replace them
with new fillings.
Large
fillings produce a different problem. In the event little tooth
structure remains to keep the tooth from breaking, not many choices exist
other than a crown to protect and save the tooth from breaking, because
after a tooth breaks, it is much more difficult to repair. Switching
to a crown when a large filling has worn out protects and strengthens the
tooth.
Remedy For A Cracked
Tooth:
Some
cracks in teeth can be a problem, while others are not. Cracks
that appear near fillings definitely
are a problem and are prone to
breaking. Before
a cracked tooth breaks, it may produce pain while chewing, or it could be
sensitive to hot or cold, and then again, it may feel just fine.
To
prevent the tooth from breaking, the solution is a crown. It covers
the crack and protects and strengthens the tooth.
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Detecting A Failing Crown:
If is
possible for a crowned tooth to develop a cavity beneath the crown, which
generally begins its development at the edge where the crown and tooth
meet.
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This
is one of the most difficult areas to keep free of plaque, and is what
will cause the cavity. During the early stages of development,
cavities are easy to remedy with a filling, unless they happen to be
located between the teeth where the cavity may prove to be nearly
impossible to be reached.
However, once established, cavities
develop rapidly, because they are already well past the first line of
defense. At this point, the crown must be replaced. Also, by replacing the crown prior to the
cavity reaching the pulp chamber of the tooth, a root canal can be
avoided.
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Crown
Remedy For A Large Cavity:
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Small cavities can be fixed with
fillings due to the remaining large volume of healthy tooth structure.
However, large cavities require being fixed with crowns, because they weaken
the tooth. Without a crown to strengthen the tooth, it is highly
likely that the tooth will break. Application of a crown
strengthens a damaged tooth by covering and protecting it.
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Crown
Following A Root Canal:
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Following a root canal treatment, the tooth
becomes weak and brittle. It becomes weak due to the center of the tooth
having been removed to access the infected nerve, and only the
sides of the tooth remain for support. The tooth is more brittle, because
the nerve and blood supply have been removed.
A tooth that has received root canal
treatment is likely to break if it is not crowned to provide strength and
protection. After a
tooth breaks, it is much more difficult to repair.
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Porcelain Crown For A Front Or Back
Tooth Or Gold Crown For A Back Tooth:
On
the average, two appointments are required
to restore your teeth with a crown. This is due to the Dentist needing to
prepare the tooth for the new crown, making impressions and molds for the
dental laboratory, and the laboratory requiring time to custom-craft the
crown to precisely fit your
tooth.
To make the entire process comfortable
for you, the first action performed by your dentist is to make the affected area
thoroughly numb. Afterwards, any decay is removed, and the
tooth is shaped.
To make a more accurate
impression of the teeth, normally a length of string is placed between the tooth and gums.
This gently pushes the gums away from the tooth.
Impressions create an accurate working
model of the mouth, including the prepared tooth. This helps to recreate
your natural bite.
During
the time required for the
dental lab to fabricate your new crown, you will be fitted with a temporary
crown. At your next visit, the temporary crown will be removed, and
your new crown will be fitted and installed. When everything has
been checked to assure a perfect fit, the new crown is
cemented into place, and the procedure is complete.
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Alternatives To Crowns:
After a substantial amount of tooth structure has been
lost, your alternatives are limited.
 | delay treatment |
| have the
tooth extracted |
| try another filling |
| have a crown put on the tooth
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No
matter whether tooth structure has been lost
due to breakage or cavities, if treatment is delayed, the problem simply
becomes worse.
If
the tooth is allowed to go unattended by your Dentist and it happens to
break more, it will simply become very difficult to remedy, and there may be no
choice but to extract the tooth. Unfortunately, an extraction is only a
short-term solution, because teeth require each other for support. A missing tooth
sets off a chain reaction of shifting teeth and additional dental problems.
By
delaying treatment, cavities simply become larger and larger . Their growth
is slowly while still in the hard outer enamel, but if a cavity is allowed to
reach the softer inner dentin, it grows much more rapidly. Ideally
it is best to fill the cavity prior to it reaching the pulp chamber,
because if it does reach
the pulp chamber, the tooth will require root canal treatment.
A
filling may be a viable alternative, but fillings don not add strength to the
tooth. They simply fill in the damaged part of the tooth lost to decay.
For a filling to be successful, there must be adequate tooth remaining to hold the filling in
place and to keep the
tooth from breaking when chewing.
Applying a crown on the tooth
strengthens it and protects it from breaking.
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Instructions
Following Installation Of A Crown Or Bridge:
Crowns and bridges usually take two or
three appointments to complete.
On the first appointment, the teeth are
prepared, and temporary crowns or bridges are placed to protect the teeth
while the custom restorations are being made.
When anesthetic
has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours.
Avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.
On rare occasions, temporary crowns
come off. Call your Dentist if this occurs, and protect the temporary
in the meantime so that it
can be re-cemented. For proper fit of your final
restoration, it is very important that temporaries stay in place. It
is also quite normal to experience some
sensitivity to heat, cold, and pressure after each appointment. Also, your gums may be sore for several days.
It is recommended that you rinse at least three times a day with warm salt water to reduce pain and swelling.
Use medication only as directed by your Doctor.
To help keep your temporary in place,
avoid eating sticky foods (especially gum), hard foods, and if possible,
chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
It's important to continue to brush
normally, but floss very carefully and pull the floss out from the side to
prevent pulling out the temporary crown. If your bite feels uneven, you
experience persistent pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please
call your Dentist's office for advice or a return visit to remedy the
situation.
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Eating
Following A Crown Installation:
You
can eat 30 minutes after the anesthesia wears off. If you attempt to
eat sooner, you
risk biting your cheek or tongue.
What
To Do If A Temporary Crown Falls Off:
Call
your Dentist and schedule an appointment to have it re-cemented. Acting
quickly will help keep teeth next to the missing crown from shifting.
Root
Canal Followed By A Crown:
You will not require a root canal unless decay has migrated into the nerve of the
tooth, or if the nerve has to be contacted in order to prepare the tooth
for restoration.
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