There are some dental treatments that are often overlooked for their versatility. Porcelain tooth crowns are one of them. Much of the time, dental patients only think of a crown in conjunction with root canal therapy, intended to cover up the tooth that’s being treated. This is certainly the norm, but it’s not the only job that a dental crown can do.
1. Fix a Broken Filling
If you already have a tooth that has a filling and that filling is breaking or cracking, it needs a repair, stat. Another filling may not be the solution, however. Sometimes, when a tooth is breaking apart and its filling is too, there is too much damage to allow another filling to take its place. Enter the dental crown.
A tooth that is already weak from earlier decay and repair is now even weaker from a disintegrating filling. To ensure that the tooth does not break further and to prevent it from becoming infected, a cap covers all the disfunction for a secure, long-last restoration.
2. Beautify an Ugly Tooth
While porcelain tooth crowns are usually considered a restorative dental treatment, they also fit snugly into the cosmetic dentistry category. Crowns do a lot of repairing, but they also beautify at the same time. So, no matter what work is being done to your tooth, if a crown is involved your tooth is going to look good.
Maybe you have a tooth that’s shorter than the others and sticks out for its differences. Perhaps you have a jagged or oddly shaped tooth. No matter what the complaint is, a porcelain crown beautifies what isn’t so pretty to you. Since crowns are customized in size, shape, and color, they are carefully designed to blend in and flatter.
3. Strengthen a Weak Tooth
Some people have weak tooth enamel, others simply have a weak tooth from damage, age, or disintegrating dental work. One way to strengthen a weak tooth is with a porcelain tooth crown. The crown acts as a little shield over the tooth in question, protecting it from further deterioration and making it a more robust part of a person’s bite.
4. Secure Dental Bridges
Dental bridges can’t work alone. They need a few buddies to help them stay in place and permanently bridge that gap they’re filling. Crowns do the important job of anchoring the bridge and its clasps in place. They are fitted over the adjacent teeth and carefully detailed to blend in and hide the presence of the bridge while doing the important work of holding the bridge down.
5. Whiten a Discolored Tooth
Perhaps one tooth in your mouth is discolored. Whether it has antibiotic staining or is permanently discolored for any other reason, your only options for whitening are to cover up the tooth. Depending on which tooth is in question, there are cosmetic upgrades that might work better than others.
You could pursue a mouthful of porcelain veneers and even out your entire smile, hiding the discolored tooth and every other tooth’s shortcomings. Or you could simply opt for a porcelain tooth crown. Capping that one stained or off-colored tooth will allow it to blend in with the rest of your teeth for a natural-looking smile.
Think you might need a crown? Schedule a consultation to discuss your oral health with Dr. Michael J. Wei, NYC cosmetic dentist.
