Is Your Tooth Cracked? Choosing the Right Crown for Your Smile

Chipped teeth are more than just an aesthetic problem. It impacts the comfort, health, and confidence of your smile. The cause could be trauma, a wear-and-tear problem, or something that needs further diagnosis, but fractured teeth do need repair to prevent further damage and improve function. Luckily, dental crowns can provide a stable solution for your teeth and improve your confidence in your smile.

Choosing to get a dental cap for your tooth may seem complicated, but understanding how dental caps work and what options are available will help you make the right choice. In this blog, you will learn how to find the best dental cap that suits your needs.

Understanding Dental Crowns: A Lifeline for Cracked Teeth

When a tooth is fractured, it may require more than a simple filling to restore its function. The dental crown acts as a covering cemented over the damaged tooth to provide the strength and support the cracked tooth requires. They can be produced in a variety of materials such as metal, porcelain, or metal fused with porcelain. The cap you choose will depend on factors such as the damaged tooth, its location, and what you would like it to look like.

The fitting procedure is simple and takes two sittings. During the first sitting, the dentist will trim the tooth to accommodate the dental cap, ensuring it fits comfortably and does not damage the surrounding teeth. An impression is taken from your mouth to form a custom-made crown that matches your original teeth. You will receive a temporary crown to wear in the meantime.

Why You Need a Dental Crown for a Cracked Tooth

Whether you’ve discovered a tiny hairline crack or a significant break in one of your teeth, there are a number of complications that may arise. Painful sensitivity and an increased risk of tooth damage could leave you with more worries about your oral health. However, dental crowns in Burke can protect and strengthen damaged teeth. Why you may want to consider a dental cap for a cracked tooth:

1. Protects against additional breakage: By fully encasing your damaged tooth, a dental cap acts like a helmet, reinforcing its weakened structure and preventing the crack from spreading further. This provides your tooth with the strength and resilience to withstand the everyday forces it experiences from eating and speaking.
2. Eases tooth sensitivity: Many cracked teeth become very sensitive to extreme temperatures and sweets. A dental cap seals your tooth, shielding it from irritants and preventing sharp, painful sensations.
3. Restores tooth structure: Crowns help re-establish the original shape of your tooth, so chewing and speaking should be comfortable again.
4. Guarantees longevity: By covering the entire tooth, the dental cap prolongs the compromised tooth’s lifespan.

A dental cap can not only protect your cracked tooth, but it will also protect you from pain and allow you to enjoy the simplest pleasures without concern.

Picking the Best Crown for your smile

There are a variety of types of crowns to choose from, depending on the extent of your crack and the tooth’s position in your mouth.

• Porcelain: These caps are popular in the front of the mouth and provide a great aesthetic due to their natural color and translucence, which blend with existing teeth. These are quite strong, but they are the most prone to chipping and may not be ideal for teeth that receive a lot of pressure.
• Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal: These feature a metal core and a porcelain covering. They are a popular option because they offer the strength of a metal crown while still looking like a real tooth. They are generally used for teeth towards the back of the mouth, where pressure is higher.

• Metal: These caps are made of metals like gold and are extremely strong and effective for back teeth, where durability is key, and chewing pressure can cause other crowns to chip or fracture. They don’t look natural, though.
• Zirconia: This material offers the strongest, most natural-looking material. They can offer both the strength to withstand the forces on the back teeth and the great aesthetics you would expect from porcelain caps.
• Resin: These are not very commonly used but may offer a cheaper option. They are more likely to be used for temporary crowns or areas under less pressure.

The Dental Crown Process

Dental crowns can seem frightening to have placed; however, the process is simple and will help restore strength and form to your tooth. Whether you have a fractured tooth that requires protection or a disfigured tooth that needs repairing, learning the procedure should not seem so daunting. Here is the process of what occurs when you get a dental cap:

1. First Visit, Exam, and Evaluation: Your dentist will begin with a complete examination of your teeth. They will determine the extent of the damage and, by taking x-rays, see whether the tooth can be properly crowned.
2. The Tooth Preparation: During the next visit, your dentist will begin removing decay and reshaping your tooth so the cap fits securely in place. Numbing of the tooth by a local anesthetic is a painful part of the procedure.
3. Taking An Impression, Creating A Model: With the tooth shaped accordingly, your dentist will begin by taking an impression of your tooth and sending it to a dental lab where the cap will be created custom fit to your tooth’s shape, size, and color, as well as match that of your other teeth, and if needed, a temporary cap will be placed to hold its place.
4. Fitting of the Permanent Crown: Once the cap has arrived at your dentist, it can be permanently fitted. The temporary cap will be removed to place the new cap, and any adjustments will be made until the tooth feels comfortable and fits evenly within your bite.
5. Bonding of the Crown: Your dentist will permanently bond the cap with the appropriate dental adhesive and then evaluate the fit of your bite once more. You will then receive instructions from your dentist on how to care for the tooth, including brushing, flossing, and avoiding certain foods, as the cement needs time to set properly.

A swift, painless procedure like this will have your tooth looking its best and feeling like new, so you can show off your smile with confidence!

Take Care of Your Smile With Your Dental Crown

Selecting the best dental crown for a cracked tooth will be essential to maintaining the health of your smile. Alpine Dental offers a variety of high-quality dental crowns to suit any need, so you can restore your tooth to optimal function and a beautiful appearance.

If you are dealing with a cracked tooth, let a dentist at Alpine Dental help you find the right dental cap for your smile. Call us today to make an appointment and get on the track towards a gentle smile.

Questions People Ask About Dental Crowns