Crowns are cosmetic dentistry procedures that strengthen and support a tooth badly damaged by disease or fracture. Your Springfield, MO, dentist might suggest crowns after a root canal procedure. Traditionally, crowns protect weak or broken teeth and are a type of cosmetic dentistry procedure that helps fill missing spaces in your mouth. Crowns placed to either side of a false tooth stabilize dental bridges.
Crowns come in many different types, but they always consist of hard materials that mimic the characteristics of natural teeth very closely. Parkcrest Dental Group dentists want your crowns to resemble your natural teeth in every way they can. Crowns perform all the functions of teeth. You bite with them, smile with them, and brush them, and they should withstand all these pressures in the same way your natural teeth would.
We most commonly use crowns made from porcelain or metal. Until recently, it was difficult to form porcelain crowns strong enough to replace teeth. Many porcelain crowns incorporated metal to keep them strong enough for any biting and chewing.
Gold, the most common metal used for crowns, lasts much longer than porcelain crowns. They don’t add wear to surrounding teeth and can last as long as half a century. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns don’t last as long as metal crowns, but they stand out less in your mouth. Fused porcelain crowns tend to wear down the adjacent teeth, causing those teeth to weaken. Crowns made from only porcelain last the least amount of time, but they do not wear down adjacent teeth, and they are aesthetically pleasing.
Crowns cover teeth completely. They act as a barrier between your broken, fractured, or diseased tooth and the outside world. Fillings, however, replace decayed areas of your tooth. Fillings tend to work well for minimal tooth decay and damage, but you should consider crowns if your tooth is fractured or diseased. Crowns protect and strengthen your teeth in a way that fillings can’t, though they may look less appealing. Only your experienced and trusted dentist in Springfield, MO, can tell you exactly which cosmetic dentistry procedure will be right for you.
The dentists, at Parkcrest Dental Group, have years of experience performing cosmetic dentistry procedures of all different types. This experience, paired with a genuine interest in your oral health, helps them decide whether you might need a filling or a crown or whether porcelain crowns are right for you. These cosmetic dentistry procedures could mark the difference between sore teeth and a beautiful new smile. Contact a Parkcrest Dental Group dentist today to learn more about the cosmetic dentistry options available to you.