Dental Crowns And Chipped Teeth Article

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Dental Crowns and Chipped Teeth

As strong as your teeth’s enamel is, it can become chipped all too easily during an accident, a fall, or even when you’re playing contact sports.

Author: Sara Goldstein

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If a chipped tooth is only minimally damaged, a cosmetic dentist might be able to file it down so it is smooth again, or else use dental bonding to restore it. Unfortunately, some teeth get chipped so badly that patients feel pain when chewing or drinking, or even when the tooth is exposed to hot or cold air. In these cases, dental crowns are the best option for repairing the damage.

The Benefits of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are ceramic “caps” that are custom-designed to fit over the top of your damaged tooth. Crowns are bonded to your existing tooth to give them strength and durability, restoring your weakened tooth to its full strength and making it a functional part of your smile again.

Dental crowns come with several other benefits, as well:
• They mimic the appearance of natural teeth, improving the look of your smile
• They prevent infection in weakened or previously decayed teeth
• They last an average of 20-30 years
Today’s dental crowns use advanced dentistry materials for superior strength, a better fit, and an improved aesthetic appearance.

Types of Dental Crowns
All-porcelain dental crowns are the most aesthetically realistic type of dental crown available. Porcelain catches the light in a way that is similar to enamel, giving the crown the same type of translucency that natural teeth have. Because of their superior look, all-porcelain crowns are ideal for replacing the teeth that show when you smile.
Although all-porcelain crowns are strong and durable once they are bonded to your teeth, they can still become prone to cracks or damage if they are used to replace any of your back teeth (molars), as the amount of pressure your jaw generates when you chew is always greater in the back of your mouth.

If you need to have a back tooth fitted with a dental crown, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns are a better option. These crowns have a metal lining that provides them with superior strength. The metal does make the porcelain more opaque, however, meaning PFM crowns look less realistic than all-porcelain crowns. But since your back teeth usually do not catch the light when you smile anyway, PFM crowns remain an ideal option for molars.

Have Your Chipped Tooth Examined
An experienced cosmetic dentist can examine your chipped tooth with x-rays and other diagnostics to determine the extent of the damage. For example, if the tooth’s root has been damaged, you may need to have the tooth extracted and completely replaced with a dental implant. In most cases, however, a dental crown can be placed to take care of the problem.

If you would like more information on dental crowns and how cosmetic dentistry can repair chipped teeth, please visit the website of experienced Oklahoma City cosmetic dentist Dr. Terry Bass, DDS today.

About Author

Oklahoma City cosmetic dentist Dr. Terry Bass offers smile makeovers, porcelain veneers, dental implants, tooth whitening, and more. Please Click to schedule an in-depth dental consultation with Dr. Terry Bass.

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Dental Crowns and Chipped Teeth