If you don’t have a dental crown already, then chances are you know at least one person who does. Still, you might not realize it unless that person told you, given that most of today’s dental crowns are designed to closely replicate healthy, natural teeth. The reason so many people have dental crowns is because the lifelike restorations can be utilized for a number of different reasons. For many patients, a dental crown can repair or replace a tooth that is missing, or that is too damaged to perform its duties without additional support.
Fixing a Broken Tooth
A dental crown is designed to fit completely over the top of a tooth, covering and protecting the tooth structure from further damage. A tooth doesn’t have to be broken to need a crown; cracks, fractures, and worn areas of a tooth can also warrant the protection of a dental crown. By restoring the tooth, a dental crown can help you preserve the healthy, natural tooth structure that remains, allowing your tooth to continue functioning without sustaining further damage.
Replacing a Missing Tooth
Traditionally, dental crowns have been utilized to support prosthetic dental bridges for patients who’ve lost one or more teeth. The crowns are attached to either side of the bridge’s replacement teeth (pontics), and are bonded to the teeth that border the empty space in your smile. However, more recently, dental crowns have become a popular prosthetic on their own. When coupled with a dental implant, a crown can stand alone as a single tooth replacement, saving your healthy teeth from needing to be modified.
