Crowns and bridges are prosthetic devices and they are fixed in your mouth. This means that once the dentist has placed them in there, you cannot remove them. Removable devices like dentures can be taken out and cleaned regularly, but crowns and bridges are held to your teeth with the help of special cementing material. Crowns and bridges can be placed on teeth or implants, but they can only be removed by your dentist.
Contact the experts at Hawthorn Dental Clinic to know more crowns and bridges. You can also make an appointment with the Dental Clinic in Hawthorn for a consultation. Meanwhile, read on to get some more info about this procedure.
What are crowns?
Crowns are covers or caps placed on top of damaged teeth. Not only do they strengthen the teeth in case they are damaged, but they also improve the appearance of the teeth, their shape, and their alignment within the arch.
Crowns can be placed on an implant too, to give it the appearance, shape, and structure of a tooth. The material used for making crowns also makes a huge difference when it comes to the properties of the prosthetic device. For instance, porcelain and ceramic crowns can be shaped to match the color of your teeth.
On the other hand, there are other materials like gold and metal that were used in old times. They were known for their strength, as they are usually much stronger than porcelain. Dentists usually recommend these materials for your back teeth.
If you want both strength and appearance, you can get a metal bonded to the porcelain crown.
When is a crown recommended?
Crowns are recommended by dentists when:
- They need to replace a large cavity with a filling but there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support the filling
- A weakened tooth that may fracture without support
- Restoration of an already fractured tooth
- Covering a dental implant
- Attaching a bridge
- Covering a tooth that is discoloured or misshapen
- Covering a tooth that has had root canal treatment done
How long can crowns last?
Although crowns can last for a lifetime, as stated before, sometimes they do fall out because of loosening. The most important thing you can do is take care of your oral health. Crowns can fall out if the tooth holding it up is destroyed by dental caries if the bone is destroyed by gingival and periodontal diseases.
The only way to ensure that your crown does not give out before time is to take care of the crown as well as your oral health.
How to care for your crown?
Crowns can last for several years, or they can get loose and fall out in just a couple of months. all of this depends on the steps you take to maintain your oral hygiene. Here are some things you can do to make sure your crown lasts for a long time:
- Brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste every day. This will keep your gums and your teeth healthy and they will be able to support the crown.
- Visit your dentist or dental hygienist on a regular basis to make sure that you get checked up for oral diseases and get your teeth professionally cleaned.
- Avoid chewing any hard foods or objects to prevent damage to the crown
