The dental crown is nothing but a tooth-shaped cap which is used to restore, replace and for improving the look of an existing tooth. It helps to restore your tooth to get back its strength, shape, size, and its appearance. Here we will briefly discuss the purpose of dental crowns and major complications associated with it.
Purpose of Dental Crown
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The dental crown is done in order to give support to your decayed tooth or for replacing a damaged tooth that can cause further damaging to other nearby teeth and other oral health problems if not treated timely. The purpose of the dental crown can be described under the following heads.
Protection to Weak Tooth
Dental crown offers protection and support to a tooth which is weakened by the decay or due to other reasons. In the lack of necessary support, a weak tooth can be broken very easily and fast. The dental crown holds the cracked tooth from all side and enhances its longevity.
Restore Broken Tooth
The tooth which is already damaged or broken causes pain and harms to its nearby teeth. With the help of dental crown, it can be restored.
Covers Large Filling
Any tooth which has large whole or filling and a very less amount of tooth is left over; it can be filled or covered with the help of dental filling.
Holds Dental Bridge
Some people naturally have a gap between teeth or this gap can be generated over the time when your tooth falls in life. This gap can be filled through false teeth known as the dental bridge. The dental crown helps to hold this dental bridge in its exact place.
Cosmetic Modification
The tooth which is not in proper shape can be improved with the help of dental crown. It modifies an improper shape and places tooth so that your beauty can be enhanced with a perfect size and shape tooth.
Protect Children’s Decayed Teeth
The primary baby teeth of children are very soft and in the lack of proper hygiene and due to over-consumption of chocolates and other sticky foods it easily gets decayed and damaged. This can be filled and replaced by the dental crown.
Dental Crowns Procedure
The process of cementing the dental crown needed at least two times to visit the dentist in order to complete this process. Though the permanent crowning is done only in the second visit, the first visit is also important as the impression of the tooth is taken which is needed to be replaced and the temporary dental crown is placed at this point of time.
First Visit: Examining and Tooth Preparation
During the first visit to the dentist physical examination of your decayed or damaged teeth is done. The doctor will take some x-rays in order to check the root and surrounding bone condition of the tooth which is going to get crown.
If the doctor finds that you have excess decay or possibility of infection or injury of the tooth pulp lies then the root canal treatment will be performed at first. Your tooth is needed to bring in to a proper shape for giving room for the crown. This reshaping will depend upon the type of material which is going to be used in the crown.
The crown based on metals is thinner with a comparison to the crown based on porcelain, so it needs very lesser removal of the tooth which will retain the crown. For shaping the tooth to prepare crown, the top and it’s both sides are filled. The tooth decay is also treated during this process.
If the tooth decay or damaging is severe, in that case, there will be very insufficient structure would be left for placing the tooth. In this situation, it is filled by the filling material for preparing a structure so that the crown can be put here later on.
After the preparation of needed tooth structure, the next step is to create its impression so that the crown can be prepared very similar for fitting it in the place. The impression of the tooth on opposite jaw is also created for ensuring that the crown will get placed very easily and it would work normally in future.
With the help of putty or paste an impression is prepared that hold the tooth shape. Then it is spread around the area that needed to be copied and after that, it is pulled out to keep the shape of the related tooth.
The details about the tooth are recorded at this point in time which includes size, color, fit etc. The color should be exactly matched as of the other teeth in the mouth so that the crown won’t look different when it is placed inside.
After all these works the turn for the placement of temporary crown comes. The temporary crown is placed over the tooth in order to protect it until the permanent crown is not been ready to be placed. In the second or final visit, the temporary crown is removed.
Second or Final Visit: Permanent Dental Crown Placed
After the first visit, your impression is sent in the dental laboratory where the crown is prepared of exact shape and size. At least three weeks is needed to prepare your permanent dental crown. Once your crown is prepared by the laboratory, the temporary crown needed to be removed for placing the permanent one.
Before cementing the permanent crown it is necessary to check whether it is prepared of the exact shape and color just like the nearby surrounding teeth so that it can fit properly and also would not look different when it is fixed permanently.
For numbing your tooth area, a local anesthetic is applied for fitting the crown in it. The dental cement is used inside or over the tooth area for cementing it. As per the situation, the necessity may arise to make a small modification in the crown especially if the patient is getting problem while biting when the crown meets to the opposite jaw’s tooth. Once everything is OK, the permanent crown is cemented.
Complications in Dental Crown
The dental crown is done to relive and modify the existing tooth’s bad condition. After the dental crown your teeth will not only look natural but also it will perform like your natural teeth, yes some protection should be given to it so that it could last for the longest time. Like other medical treatment or process, the dental crowns is also not free of some complications and risk. Some of them are mentioned below.
Tooth Sensitivity
The dental crowns made of metal often causes sensitivity to cold and heat items. Changes in weather like cold, rainy time etc. cause expansion and contraction in your teeth naturally. This sensitivity rate remains higher towards the artificial material. These side effects can be relieved by using some special toothpaste.
Thinner Tooth Surface
At the time of crowns preparation, the tooth surface is made thinner by a dental instrument which is not a healthy dental condition.
Removal of Healthy Elements
While preparing the structure for fitting the crown some enamel is needed to be removed from the tooth in order to receive the dental crown. In most of the cases, the enamel remains at the good condition when it is removed.
The Nerve Damage
During the preparation process of the tooth, it might be possible that the tooth’s nerve is gets damaged. If this happens then the root canal therapy or nerve removal is required to be done.
Infection
While preparing a tooth for the dental crown process some kind of infection may occur to the surrounding nerve which can affect to the overall health. The infection or swelling in the surrounding area can cause tooth decay. For treating this infection, root canal therapy is applied.
If the dental crown is not sealed well or the removal of damaged material is not done then it can cause to spread decay. After dental crown, it is necessary to maintain regular oral hygiene like brushing, floss, dental checkups etc. In the lack of these care, chances exist for decay, damages and oral diseases.
Allergic Reaction
The dental crowns process offers you an opportunity to use many varieties of materials in this process as per your choice. It may be possible that you will not support to these materials when it is placed in your teeth resulting in the allergic reaction. That is why it is suggested before applying any material in crown the prior allergy test should be conducted in order to check whether any reaction is occurring or not.
Also to some patient’s the anesthesia which is used during the placement of permanent dental crown causes some opposite reaction. So these things should be considered before placing a dental crown.
How to Give Care to Dental Crown
The damaged, decayed and broken teeth are restored by the modern medical technology known as the dental crown which restores your lost and damaged teeth in this treatment process. This treatment process is divided into two phases. The first phase is temporary crowning and the second phase is known as permanent crowning. Under both the phases, you needed to give special care which is described below.
Care after Temporary Dental Crown
The temporary crown is needed to be worn off until the fixed or permanent dental crown is prepared for insertion. You needed to wear this for few weeks and in this point in time, you should give special care and attention to your temporary dental crown. You should follow below tips in order to give proper care and support.
- Avoid Hard Foods: You should avoid hard foods like nuts, raw vegetables as it has the capacity to displace or force out the temporary dental crown. Instead, you should consume light and easy chewable food items.
- Don’t Consume Sticky Foods: Dentists recommends to stay away from chewy and sticky foods for protecting your temporary dental crown as these foods can stick to your crown and will remove it.
- Floss Properly: Be very attentive and careful while flossing. So be gentle during floss as the chances exist to dislodge the temporary crown with fast and hard flossing.
- Give More Rest: After the temporary dental crown, it needed to give rest so that it can stick and settle down in its position. Don’t chew from the teeth side where the crown is done as the foods can be stick to it which will be difficult to clean, and for the time being chew from the other side of teeth which is fresh and in good condition.
Care after Permanent Dental Crown
Once the permanent dental crown is done it will last for longer duration approx. 5 to 15 years which needed comparatively less care than the temporary dental crown. The durability of your permanent crown will depend on how good care you are providing it. As much as hygiene and care you will give its lifespan will be longer. You should follow below tips in order to give proper care and support.
- Regular Mouthwash: For proper care and maintenance of your permanent dental crown you should use a good mouthwash as its antibacterial property will clean the area around the crown and ensures its longevity and good health.
- Do Brush and Floss on Time: Many people have a misperception that dental crowns will no way be affected by tooth-related diseases and decay anymore. Like your other normal teeth, this dental crown also needs proper and timely brushing and floss for preventing bacteria that causes decay and other teeth diseases.
Brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once in a day. This will prevents germs and harmful bacteria to cause further decay and damaging to your teeth.
- Apply Good Oral habits: You need to follow and apply good oral habits for ensuring the care and protection of your permanent dental crown. Stay away from nail-biting, tearing of any packaging, teeth grinding, ice chewing etc. These wrong oral habits can cause to weaken your dental crown.
It is quite clear that the purpose of dental crowns is to improve your existing oral health condition but remember in the lack of necessary care and maintenance you cannot enjoy or expect the advantages of cementing a dental crown. If you like to know more about dental crowns, visit LaneFamilyDental.com.