Crowns: When Teeth Crack or Fillings Fail
Cracked teeth eventually break. Fillings eventually fail. Decay eventually rots to the center. How do we deal with cracks, failed fillings and big decay? We use Dental Crowns.
What’s So Special about Dental Crowns?
Dental Crowns are like a high-strength helmet around a weakened tooth. They cover the tooth, replacing missing tooth structure and protecting it. Crowns are needed whenever a tooth has more decay or filling material than real tooth material. Crowns are also needed when the tooth is cracked.
Wait. Did You Just Say That Too Much Filling Material is Bad?
Most people don’t understand how a filling could ever be a bad thing. Don’t fillings repair cavities?
Fillings do replace cavities! They only become a problem if they are too large.
Why are big fillings a problem? Well, fillings are engineered to replace small areas of tooth that are still surrounded by tooth structure. When a filling gets so large that there is more filling than tooth, it’s like an over-filled cream donut. With time, the filling is going to fail and the tooth will break.
Why Would Any Dentist Do a Filling That’s Going to Fail?
The huge fillings we’re talking about usually happen when a patient doesn’t want or can’t afford a dental crown on a tooth that has a huge cavity. These fillings can work out great if the patient knows that they’re only buying themselves time until the tooth can be fully repaired with a new crown. If the crown doesn’t happen soon enough, the tooth will break or the filling will fail, leaving the patient with a more complicated tooth problem.
The takeaway: big fillings are better than big decay, but big fillings need to be replaced with dental crowns before they inevitably fail.
Stop Cracks in Their Tracks
Dental Crowns are the best way to prevent a crack from becoming a break. Teeth crack in weak places and these cracks will eventually break the tooth in half. The frustrating thing about cracks is that no dentist can predict how deep in the tooth a crack runs or when it will break. Placing a crown on a cracked tooth holds the crack shut and reinforces it to keep it from breaking.
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Whether you have teeth or not, you deserve a smile you can be proud of!
A beautiful smile changes how you look. It also changes how you live. Imagine laughing and eating freely with friends again! If you want to smile with confidence, we can help. Take the first step today. Schedule your consultation!
