When is a crown necessary?

Crowns are completed for numerous reasons. The three top reasons that a crown may be recommended are:

1) To restore a tooth to its original configuration The original entity may be lost because of occlusal (biting) forces, erosion of tooth surfaces, decay factors-including older larger restorations that cannot support the tooth structure, or breakage.

2) To strengthen the tooth structure again, there is little tooth structure left to allow the tooth to function.

3) To cosmetically enhance the tooth.

What are dental crowns?

Crowns are a type of dental restoration which, when cemented into place, fully cup over the portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. In comparison, fillings are dental restorations that fill in or cover over just a portion of a tooth. Since dental crowns encase the entire visible aspect of a tooth, a dental crown in effect becomes the tooth's new outer surface. Crowns can be made out of porcelain (meaning some sort of dental ceramic), metal (a gold or other metal alloy), or a combination of both. Other terms that are used to refer to dental crowns are "dental caps " and "tooth caps. "

How long will a crown last?

It would be reasonable to expect that a dental crown could last between five and fifteen years. Most likely a crown which did only last five years would be somewhat of a disappointment to your dentist. It's probably their hope that any crown they make for you will last ten years or longer. The longevity is dependent upon many factors such as chewing, grinding/clenching tendencies, accidental trauma, and your own home care. An important determinant of longevity is the oral environment of your mouth which is constantly bombarded by fluids (your saliva). That environment changes with stress, medications, and your overall health. For example, a person that has a very dry mouth has a great chance for decay to invade the mouth, increasing the chance for decay around a crown margin. Remember that nothing is as strong as a brand new adult tooth. Enamel is one of the hardest structures in the body. A crown is only a substitute for enamel so it is not as strong. However, once enamel has been lost over time, a crown may be the best substitute.