Important Benefits of a Dental Crown

It’s a scary statistic: By the time Americans turn 50, they’ve lost an average of 12 permanent teeth, damaging their oral and overall health. Fortunately, dentists today can partially or fully restore missing or damaged teeth using new and advanced technology. One of the most common restoration options is dental crowns, which have many benefits.

At Le Dentistry in Norcross, Georgia, our dentists specialize in placing dental crowns for our patients. We understand that crowns have many benefits, and we want you to know what they are so you can make informed choices about your dental care.

Why is tooth loss a problem?

Losing one or more teeth does more than just leave a hole in your smile. Research indicates your risk for oral health problems increases with each additional missing tooth. These include:

• Gums around the root recede, leading to gum disease
• Jawbone shrinks from lack of bite stimulation
• Teeth adjacent to the gap shift, causing crowding and misalignment
• Food and plaque build up inside the gap, leading to adjacent tooth decay

Restoring missing teeth can prevent these and other problems from developing.

What are crowns, and what are their benefits?

A dental crown is a porcelain, ceramic, or metal appliance that replaces the tooth structure above the gum line. It’s often placed atop a damaged tooth to hold it together; a tooth that’s had a root canal, a procedure that removes the natural crown to repair damage inside the tooth or the nerve below; or an abutment after a dental implant.

A crown comes with several important benefits:

• Strengthens a damaged or weakened tooth
• Improves a tooth’s appearance, alignment, and shape
• Provides necessary bite stimulation when connected to an implant abutment
• Serves as an anchor for dental bridges
• Covers a discolored and/or poorly shaped tooth

Crowns made of porcelain or resin come in colors that match your surrounding teeth, so no one will know it’s not your natural tooth.

Placing the crown

For a traditional crown, you may need to make two appointments.

During the first appointment, we start by shaving off some of the enamel from the tooth so the crown can fit over it. Next, we take an impression of the tooth and send it to the lab to manufacture the crown. While you wait, we fit you with a temporary crown to fill the space.

You come in for the second appointment when the crown returns from the lab. We ensure that the crown fits perfectly in the space, then cements it in place, and you’re good to go.

If you’re looking for tooth restoration options, you may be a good candidate for a dental crown. To learn more, schedule an appointment at Le Dentistry.