Dental crowns are a restorative dentistry solution that may be incorporated into a variety of treatment plans. If your dentist suggests the inclusion of a dental crown in your treatment plan, it’s important to understand that this is for your benefit. Learn three uses for dental crowns, as well as why they might be recommended by your Arlington Heights dentist, below:
To Repair A Broken Tooth
A dental crown is most commonly used to repair a broken or severely decayed tooth. To help patients avoid the need for tooth extraction, a dental crown can be used to cosmetically and functionally replace an affected tooth while still maintaining natural tooth root support. To begin the dental crown process, your affected tooth will be shaped down to its foundational core. A significant amount of enamel removal is required to make space for the porcelain cap. The difference between dental crowns and porcelain veneers is that dental crowns replace the entire exterior of an affected tooth while porcelain veneers only replace the front-facing portion of a tooth. This is why dental crowns are primarily considered a restorative dentistry option while porcelain veneers are considered a cosmetic dentistry solution. The dental crown will sit on top of the foundational core of your natural tooth to cosmetically and functionally replace your affected tooth while maintaining the additional support of your natural tooth roots.
To Strengthen A Dental Bridge
Dental crowns may also be incorporated into your treatment plan if you need a dental bridge. A dental bridge is a tooth replacement option that utilizes the support of your surrounding teeth to hold a prosthetic tooth in place of a missing tooth. Because the dental bridge relies on the fully external support of your surrounding teeth, it’s often best to have dental crowns placed on the teeth that the bridge hardware will be secured to. This will provide your dental bridge with more strength and stability, ensuring that it will last you for many years to come. It’s important to note that dental bridge hardware can strain the teeth that it is attached to, so reinforcing these teeth with dental crowns is highly recommended. This is especially true if the surrounding teeth are chipped, misshapen, crooked, or otherwise weakened by previous concerns.
To Top Off A Dental Implant
A dental implant is considered the premier option for tooth replacement. Consisting of a titanium post, an abutment, and a dental crown, a dental implant offers patients an alternative to compromising their surrounding teeth as they would with dental bridges. A surgical procedure is required to insert the titanium post beneath your own soft tissues. After an extensive healing time, the post will fuse together with your jawbone. Once this happens, an abutment will connect the post to a dental crown. The end result is a tooth that looks, feels, and functions just like your natural tooth once did. If you need a dental crown in Arlington Heights, IL, schedule an appointment with Dr. Brent Engelberg today. We look forward to seeing you soon.