A dental crown is a ceramic cap that a dentist will build on a custom basis for a patient. The personalized dental fixture will fit over a tooth, covering the entire surface and sealing into place with dental cement. It serves as a restorative dental tool to provide structure as well as protection for a damaged tooth.
Before introducing a new fixture to your smile, you may want a better understanding of the benefits it can bring to your affected tooth. Discover four ways a dentist may use a dental crown to enhance your oral health when you read on.
Restore Damaged Tooth Enamel
Your teeth feature a hard outer layer called enamel that functions to shield the more sensitive interior of your tooth. Though highly durable, the enamel may erode and wear down over time. Once lost, your enamel cannot regrow, which can leave your tooth at risk of decay, infection, and more issues.
However, your dentist can help you replace weakened enamel with a dental crown. The cap creates a barrier that protects the tooth once again from external threats. And dentists design crowns to withstand wear and tear so that you can look forward to durable protection for your smile.
Amend Tooth Breakage
Tooth enamel can deteriorate gradually, but a tooth might also suffer an injury such as a chip, crack, or fracture due to accidental exposure to high pressure. If this happens, you create a weak spot in the enamel where bacteria can harm your tooth further.
You should seek prompt repair of this tooth breakage from your dentist. One way they can treat the injury is with a dental crown. It covers the damage to restore the tooth’s health, structure, and appearance. Then you can find relief from any discomfort from the injury and eliminate risk factors of additional dental damage.
Enhance Tooth Appearance
While known for its restorative benefits, a dental crown can also serve a cosmetic purpose for a tooth. Dentists construct crowns on an individualized basis for their patients, meaning you can look forward to a beautiful as well as natural finish that will suit your unique smile.
The dentist can also consider your smile aesthetic goals with the crown. It can brighten your tooth color by covering stubborn discoloration within a tooth. And it may also reshape a tooth that otherwise appears irregular and disrupts your smile’s appearance.
Support Other Dental Procedures
Dental crowns are highly beneficial treatments on their own, but they can also support other types of dental procedures. For instance, a crown can function as a prosthetic tooth atop a dental implant.
Dentists will also employ a crown to preserve a tooth’s health after root canal therapy. It ensures the tooth will not sustain further harm while also making sure you maintain your oral capabilities after this treatment. Learn more about what dental crowns can do for your smile by calling your dentist today.