Is your dentist telling you that your tooth needs a dental crown? For many people, it only feels like a cash-grab when their dentists tells them they need a crown placed. However, dental crowns are responsible for protecting the mouth in both the short- and long-term. Furthermore, the alternatives will only cost more money in comparison.
Dental crowns in Fox Chapel act as the compromise between placing a filling and replacing the natural tooth altogether. Keep reading to learn why your dentist is so adamant about protecting your tooth via crowns.
The Best Long-Term Solution
Dentists recommend dental crowns when a typical filling isn’t enough to salvage a tooth, but there’s still enough natural tooth present worth saving. While no one wants to hear that they need a crown, the alternatives will only be more expensive because they’ll either fail or because they require far more restorative treatment.
For example, fillings could be placed in a large cavity, but the dentist typically avoids it because they know it’s only going to fall out sooner or separate the tooth even further. The other option is extracting the tooth, which will only require a dental bridge or dental implant to be created and placed, costing you more than what it would be to simply cover it with a crown.
Dental crowns are truly the compromise between placing a filling dentists know is going to fail and performing an extraction dentists know is unnecessary.
Preventing Complications
In the event a crown is needed, it’s typically because a large amount of decay has developed inside the tooth, a dental injury damaged a large portion of the tooth, or a root canal was performed. In all instances, the crown is designed to cover the natural tooth and vulnerable pulp at its center.
There are tens of thousands of bacteria in the mouth at any given time, even for people who practice regular oral hygiene. To prevent the risk of bacteria reaching the pulp and causing an infection, your dentist must protect it. This means covering it with a dental crown and confirming that it’s still functioning during your regular visits.
Keeping Your Bite Even
Finally, dental crowns do more than just improve your smile and prevent complications. They’re also a key part of keeping your bite even. If your tooth is damaged, it affects the way your bite comes together, therefore increasing your chances of developing a bad teeth-grinding habit. Over time, this will not only damage your affected tooth, but healthy neighboring teeth as well. It can also increase the chances of misalignment happening later, and orthodontic care is not any cheaper.
It’s better to accept treatment for dental crowns than put it off and cause worse problems down the road. Schedule an appointment with a dentist in Fox Chapel to get your mouth restored today!
About the Author
Dr. Ray Voller earned his dental degree from the Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. He’s an expert on many aspects of modern dentistry, including restorative treatments and full-mouth reconstructions. To learn more about his practice, you can contact him through his website.