Patients Seeking Natural Smiles are Good Porcelain Crowns Candidates

Created on January 4, 2011

If you’ve lost a significant portion of a tooth to decay or other damage, but have a strong base remaining, you may be a candidate for a dental crown. If that tooth is in a place that shows when you open your mouth, you should consider a porcelain crown.

A crown is a replacement for a badly damaged tooth. It is made from a mold taken of the existing tooth and sculpted to approximate the tooth before it was damaged. The dentist removes enough of the remaining tooth material to form a base to which to cement the crown.

Crowns were originally made of gold, which has good resistance to bite force and lasts indefinitely. Because gold crowns can be conspicuous, dentists began to fuse porcelain surfaces to a gold base for crowns near the front of the mouth, where less bite force is exerted. As stronger porcelain materials were created, all-porcelain crowns were fabricated, since porcelain-and-gold crowns often show a bit of their gold foundation.

Porcelain Crowns Blend Perfectly with Existing Teeth

If you have a tooth that has damage beyond that which can be repaired with fillings, it’s time to talk to your dentist about a crown. If a porcelain crown is indicated, an experienced dentist can match the material to the color of your existing tooth, so that it blends perfectly with any portion of the existing tooth base that may remain visible after the crown is in place.

Keep in mind that even the best porcelain crown will not equal a natural tooth or a gold crown in resistance to bite force. Before choosing a porcelain crown, talk to your dentist about how it might be affected by your eating habits. There is a chance that your porcelain crown will break or eventually wear sufficiently to need replacement. But, with reasonable caution and care, it should last for many years and give you a natural-looking smile.

If you are interested in Springfield dental crowns treatment, contact the practice of David Peck, DMD. Our Springfield cosmetic dentist can improve the health and appearance of your smile.

Tagged with: Dental Crowns, Restorative Dentistry