There are multiple times that a dental crown may be needed to protect the integrity of a tooth. Here are a few of them:
A Tooth That Has Undergone a Root Canal
Sometimes, if a tooth becomes infected or a dental nerve is otherwise chronically inflamed, a root canal may be needed to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with the condition. Even though the removal of the pulp, which houses the blood vessels and dental nerves of a tooth, alleviates the pain of the uncomfortable condition, it does not restore the tooth or protect it.
After the pulp has been completely removed and the empty tooth has been filled, a dental crown is affixed to the treated tooth. The crown covers the entire natural crown of the tooth to support it structurally and to restore the patient's ability to chew with the tooth.
Dental crowns can be made of many different materials, such as metal, porcelain or resin. However, for a tooth that needs to be properly matched to the other teeth in the patient's mouth, such as a front tooth that is readily displayed each time the patient speaks, a porcelain, porcelain-over-metal or resin crown may be used, since these materials can be tooth-colored.
A Tooth That Has Been Cracked or Chipped
A tooth can be cracked or chipped when excessive force is applied to it, such as that from a blow or from extensive bite pressure. Once a crack or chip occurs, oral bacteria may more easily invade the interior chambers of the tooth to cause an infection. Thus, it's important to cover a cracked or chipped tooth with a dental crown.
A dental crown forms a protective barrier around the natural crown of the tooth. In addition, the cracks or chips on the tooth are properly covered so that there is no detectable damage.
The crown also offers additional structural support so that a chip or crack does not become worse as a patient bites or chews.
A Tooth With a Deep Cavity
If a tooth has a small cavity, it may not require the use of a dental crown. A small filling is often sufficient to repair the damage caused by the decay. However, a large cavity can cause much of a tooth to be removed.
In the case of a large cavity, a dental crown covers the tooth to protect it from further decay and to make it structurally sound.
To learn more instances in which a dental crown may be used to preserve your dental health, consult with a local dentist.
Share22 April 2016
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.