Is your tooth damaged? Adding a dental crown can restore it and prevent additional damage. The dentists at Unique Dental Care in North
Attleboro, MA, explains how you can benefit from dental crowns.
How do teeth become damaged?
You've probably heard that teeth are one of the toughest parts of your body. Although it's true that your teeth are very strong, they're not indestructible. They can crack or break if you receive a blow to your mouth or bite into a very hard food or object. In fact, using your teeth to open bottles, packages or other objects is a common way to break teeth. As you get older, your teeth naturally become more brittle, which increase the risk of damage. In some cases, your risk of damage rises if you've had a procedure that helped your tooth, yet made it more fragile, such as root canal therapy.
Failing to restore a damaged tooth can cause several problems. If you don't take steps to protect cracked or fragile teeth, they may eventually break. Cracks also allow bacteria to enter your teeth, increasing the likelihood of a cavity or infection. Broken teeth are unattractive and make it difficult to chew, plus the jagged edges may cut your lips or mouth.
How do dental crowns improve the condition of damaged teeth?
Dental crowns are hollow restorations made of porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal or ceramic. They're placed on top of a tooth after it's been reduced in size and held in place with dental cement. Once in place, crowns restore the normal height and width of teeth, making it possible to chew with teeth that have have broken. Crowns also absorb the biting forces generated when you chew, which greatly reduces the risk that a damaged tooth will fracture.
In addition to restoring damaged teeth, crowns can also be used to cover chips or other flaws, change the shape of teeth or lengthen them.
When are crowns recommended?
When you visit our North Attleboro office, we may recommend a crown if:
- Your tooth has broken. (In some cases, you may also need a root canal.)
- You recently received a root canal or large filling.
- You have a cavity that's too large to be restored by a filling, inlay or onlay.
- You have a crack in your tooth.
- Your tooth is brittle and in danger of breaking or cracking.
- You're unhappy with the appearance of your tooth.
Protect your teeth with dental crowns! Call the dentists at Unique Dental Care in North Attleboro, MA, at (508) 399-8800 to schedule an appointment.