All About Dental Crowns: Uses and Benefits
Damaged teeth can be very painful. Recently, there has been an extensive range of inventions in the world of dentistry. Earlier, it was very difficult to help with tooth problems. With the advancement of technology, damaged teeth can now be saved with various methodologies. There has not been enough awareness about these procedures.
Let’s understand what dental crowns are and how they can be helpful to you!
What Is a Dental Crown?
As the name suggests, dental crowns are used on top of the damaged teeth. These are tooth shaped caps that can help in covering your damaged teeth and give them the time to restore to normalcy. Dental Crowns cover the weak tooth to prevent it from breaking.
These are placed in such a way that they engulf the tooth like a blanket. This works as a support to the damaged tooth. The dental crown, when aligned properly over the tooth, will cover the entire visible portion of the tooth. This helps the damaged or decayed teeth to restore its shape, size and colour. Weighing all the advantages provided by dental crowns, they pose as a highly recommended and used method by dentists.
Types of Dental Crowns
There are different types of dental crowns depending on the cost and use. Some of the commonly used dental crowns are as follows:
Metal Alloy based Crowns
These dental crowns constitute a high amount of certain metals. Metal based crowns are stronger than other kinds of dental crowns. They can easily hold up against regular activities like biting or chewing food. Metals used in these crowns include: Gold, platinum or base metal alloys like cobalt chromium and nickel chromium alloys.
Stainless steel based Crowns
Stainless steel Dental Crowns act as a temporary solution over the damaged tooth. They are very commonly used. These protect the weak tooth temporarily and hold it in place till the permanent crown is made.
Metal & Porcelain fused Crowns
These crowns are made to match the colour of your tooth with porcelain. The crowns are supported by an inner metal strength. Their metal interior structure is incredibly strong but the base might weaken overtime and the porcelain might chip or break off. These will be a great choice for front & back teeth and also as long bridges.
Ceramic Crowns
Ceramic crowns are made with a single material, pure porcelain. These are widely used in cosmetic dentistry procedures. The crown is made to replicate the tooth colour. Such crowns are best for people with metal allergies.
Dental crowns are either temporary or permanent. The temporary ones can be made in the dentist’s office and act as a substitute till the permanent ones are being made.
Now that we know about the dental crowns, one question might be doing rounds in your mind:
Why are dental crowns required?
Dental crowns are required in a number of cases. They hold great importance in the dentistry world. A great substitute in many situations. Let’sunderstand, where they can be used.
Uses of Dental Crowns
- In order to support a weak tooth from breaking and falling off.
- Restore a severely damaged or broken tooth.
- When there’s less tooth left, dental crowns help with filling up the large filling.
- It can help in holding a dental bridge in place.
- For cosmetic dentistry
- It can cover a dental implant
- To cover up for a severely discoloured tooth
Dental crowns can also be used for children for the baby’s primary teeth. Tooth Decay is commonly seen in children. Dental crowns can help with supporting the damaged tooth. Many times, these can protect the child from future risks of tooth decay when proper oral hygiene is at risk. These situations call for stainless steel crowns, as recommended by your paediatrician.
Taking Care of Dental Crowns
While dental crowns can be a great addition in helping you with dental problems, they should be taken proper care of. These tips are very important for temporary crowns. They are as follows:
Stay away from sticky or extra chewy food. In this case, the food might get stuck to the crown and involve the risk of dislocating them by pulling it a certain time.
Try to shift bulk chewing of food particles to the good side of the teeth. It’s better to minimize the workload of the temporary crowns. Refrain from including hard vegetables in the diet. They put a lot of pressure on the crowns. Also try to avoid undercooked food items. When using dental floss, slide it from between the teeth rather than lifting it. This is to avoid unnecessary pulling off the crowns.
These precautionary measures are significant in taking care of temporary dental crowns and to avoid any unnecessary accidents before the permanent ones are made.
