Free Dental Directory of Diseases, Aliments and Solutions

To prevent the tooth from breaking, the solution is a crown.  It covers the crack and protects and strengthens the tooth.

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Detecting A Failing Crown:

If is possible for a crowned tooth to develop a cavity beneath the crown, which generally begins its development at the edge where the crown and tooth meet.

This is one of the most difficult areas to keep free of plaque, and is what will cause the cavity.  During the early stages of development, cavities are easy to remedy with a filling, unless they happen to be located between the teeth where the cavity may prove to be nearly impossible to be reached.

However, once established, cavities develop rapidly, because they are already well past the first line of defense.   At this point, the crown must be replaced.  Also, by replacing the crown prior to the cavity reaching the pulp chamber of the tooth, a root canal can be avoided.

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Crown Remedy For A Large Cavity:

Small cavities can be fixed with fillings due to the remaining large volume of healthy tooth structure.  However, large cavities require being fixed with crowns, because they weaken the tooth.  Without a crown to strengthen the tooth, it is highly likely that the tooth will break.  Application of a crown strengthens a damaged tooth by covering and protecting it.

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Crown Following A Root Canal:

Following a root canal treatment, the tooth becomes weak and brittle.  It becomes weak due to the center of the tooth having been removed to access the infected nerve, and only the sides of the tooth remain for support. The tooth is more brittle, because the nerve and blood supply have been removed.

A tooth that has received root canal treatment is likely to break if it is not crowned to provide strength and protection.  After a tooth breaks, it is much more difficult to repair.  

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Porcelain Crown For A Front Or Back Tooth Or Gold Crown For A Back Tooth:

On the average, two appointments are required to restore your teeth with a crown. This is due to the Dentist needing to prepare the tooth for the new crown, making impressions and molds for the dental laboratory, and the laboratory requiring time to custom-craft the crown to precisely fit your tooth.

To make the entire process comfortable for you, the first action performed by your dentist is to make the affected area thoroughly numb. Afterwards, any decay is removed, and the tooth is shaped.

To make a more accurate impression of the teeth, normally a length of string is placed between the tooth and gums.  This gently pushes the gums away from the tooth.

Impressions create an accurate working model of the mouth, including the prepared tooth. This helps to recreate your natural bite.

During the time required for the dental lab to fabricate your new crown, you will be fitted with a temporary crown.  At your next visit, the temporary crown will be removed, and  your new crown will be fitted and installed.  When everything has been checked to assure a perfect fit, the new crown is cemented into place, and the procedure is complete.

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Alternatives To Crowns:

After a substantial amount of tooth structure has been lost, your alternatives are limited.  

• delay treatment
• have the tooth extracted
• try another filling
• have a crown put on the tooth
  

No matter whether tooth structure has been lost due to breakage or cavities, if treatment is delayed, the problem simply becomes worse.

If the tooth is allowed to go unattended by your Dentist and it happens to break more, it will simply become very difficult to remedy, and there may be no choice but to extract the tooth.  Unfortunately, an extraction is only a short-term solution, because teeth require each other for support.  A missing tooth sets off a chain reaction of shifting teeth and additional dental problems.

By delaying treatment, cavities simply become larger and larger . Their growth is slowly while still in the hard outer enamel, but if a cavity is allowed to reach the softer inner dentin, it grows much more rapidly.  Ideally it is best to fill the cavity prior to it reaching the pulp chamber, because if it does reach the pulp chamber, the tooth will require root canal treatment.

A filling may be a viable alternative, but fillings don not add strength to the tooth.  They simply fill in the damaged part of the tooth lost to decay.  For a filling to be successful, there must be adequate tooth remaining to hold the filling in place and to keep the tooth from breaking when chewing.

Applying a crown on the tooth strengthens it and protects it from breaking.

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Instructions Following Installation Of A Crown Or Bridge:

Crowns and bridges usually take two or three appointments to complete.

On the first appointment, the teeth are prepared, and temporary crowns or bridges are placed to protect the teeth while the custom restorations are being made.

When anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours.  Avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

On rare occasions, temporary crowns come off.  Call your Dentist if this occurs, and protect the temporary in the meantime so that it can be re-cemented.  For proper fit of your final restoration, it is very important that temporaries stay in place.  It is also quite normal to experience some sensitivity to heat, cold, and pressure after each appointment.  Also, your gums may be sore for several days.  It is recommended that you rinse at least three times a day with warm salt water to reduce pain and swelling. Use medication only as directed by your Doctor.

To help keep your temporary in place, avoid eating sticky foods (especially gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.

It's important to continue to brush normally, but floss very carefully and pull the floss out from the side to prevent pulling out the temporary crown.  If your bite feels uneven, you experience persistent pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please call your Dentist's office for advice or a return visit to remedy the situation.

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Eating Following A Crown Installation:

You can eat 30 minutes after the anesthesia wears off.  If you attempt to eat sooner, you risk biting your cheek or tongue.

What To Do If A Temporary Crown Falls Off:

Call your Dentist and schedule an appointment to have it re-cemented.  Acting quickly will help keep teeth next to the missing crown from shifting.

You will not require a root canal unless decay has migrated into the nerve of the tooth, or if the nerve has to be contacted in order to prepare the tooth for restoration.