At our White Rock/South Surrey, BC dental office, we want your whole family to have healthy smiles. We all start out that way, but as years pass, problems appear. That’s where porcelain dental crowns can work wonders. They have many uses, but here are the top five ways porcelain crowns can save damaged smiles.
- Porcelain crowns can repair teeth that have cavities too big for fillings.
Harmful bacteria can live on the surface of your teeth. They survive on tiny particles of food and drink left behind in your mouth, especially sugar and carbs. They also secrete acid that corrodes your enamel. If this isn’t caught in time, you get a cavity. Normally, you can get a dental filling from any material you choose. Dr. Rogers can remove the decayed enamel and bacteria, and then fill in the cavity with that material.
However, that will work only if there’s enough healthy enamel left. The filling material puts pressure on your enamel every time you bite down. Over time, that puts your tooth at risk of cracking. To avoid this, we may recommend a porcelain crown instead. It fits over a tooth to cover and seal cavities.
- Porcelain crowns can replace teeth missing from your smile.
There are many reasons you might lose a tooth. Untreated advanced gum disease can loosen and eventually cause teeth to fall out. Injuries can knock a tooth out. You might even need to have a tooth extraction. This happens when a tooth is too damaged to save. It can also happen if you have too many teeth and your smile looks overcrowded. You really need to replace a missing tooth. Your other teeth will start to slide towards the empty space, ruining your even smile. Food particles can collect in the space. You can use a dental bridge to fill that space. This dental restoration uses three porcelain crowns. One is used as a replacement for the tooth that went missing. The other two are placed on the nearby teeth. They hold onto the replacement securely.
- Porcelain crowns can improve the appearance of unattractive teeth.
Sometimes, an otherwise good-looking smile is ruined by one bad tooth. If you have a tooth that’s cracked or chipped, it can look painful. Or, you may have a tooth with intrinsic stains. These are discolourations deep inside the tooth. You can see them, but because they’re so deep, teeth whitening will not help.
With a porcelain crown, you may be able to correct both stains (intrinsic or not) and imperfections. The crown is made to look like a healthy version of the tooth it covers. Stains and similar problem spots are hidden. Instead, you’ll see a natural-looking tooth. That can improve the appearance of your whole smile.
- Porcelain crowns can prevent teeth from reinfection after root canal therapy.
The same bacteria that can threaten your teeth with cavities and gum disease can do more. Inside your teeth is your dental pulp. It’s home to the nerve endings and blood vessels, so it keeps the tooth alive. That means letting bacteria in there can be a real problem. If harmful bacteria infect your dental pulp, you may need root canal therapy to remove the infection. Otherwise, you may deal with a powerful toothache until your tooth eventually dies.
During a root canal procedure, Dr. Rogers makes a small opening in the infected tooth to access and remove the infection. If that hole isn’t sealed tightly, the infection can easily return. Porcelain crowns can fit snugly over the compromised tooth, helping to prevent reinfection after root canal therapy.
- Porcelain crowns can keep damaged teeth from splitting open.
The enamel on teeth is very tough. You chew all kinds of food for decades and it still looks good. However, tough is not the same as perfect. Accidents and injuries can scar the enamel on your teeth. A healthy, beautiful smile can look painful and unsightly with enough damage. A lot of this damage can get worse over time. For example, a hairline crack might start out incredibly small. After all that chewing, it can start to grow. Eventually, it can threaten to split your tooth open. You’d need a tooth extraction at that point.
A porcelain crown can save your tooth. It covers all of the visible part of your tooth and can prevent existing damage from getting worse. Even if a tooth is close to splitting open, the porcelain crown can hold it tightly together.
When it comes to saving smiles, porcelain crowns can work wonders for many people. If you are ready to learn whether porcelain crowns can help you have a healthier smile, call us today at 604-635-1695 ext 1.