Tooth Restorations: How Porcelain Crowns Can Help

It is always preferred to save biological teeth whenever possible, even if those teeth are severely damaged. Ideally, you will see your dentist in time to address the damage using porcelain crowns or some other restoration rather than having to extract the tooth and replace it.

Porcelain crowns are uniquely advantageous to patients, achieving both the desired goals of enhancing the smile’s appearance as well as repairing any structural damage to the teeth. Patients often are surprised to discover that porcelain crowns are quite durable when cared for properly.

When Dental Crowns Can Benefit Patients

Why might a patient need a dental crown to begin with? There are a number of reasons that patients might benefit from this treatment, including:

• Restoring teeth affected by large cavities: When tooth decay is too extensive to be restored using a filling, inlay or onlay, dental crowns can be used to replace removed decayed material.
• Repairing damage as a result of a facial injury: If a tooth suffers significant damage, such as a large crack, due to injury, crowns can help to address it.
• Protecting teeth following root canal treatment: After root canal therapy, a tooth is more susceptible to breakage. Porcelain crowns can reduce the risk of this outcome.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of conditions that warrant crowns. Your dentist may recommend dental crowns in other situations, as well.

Porcelain Crowns: Attractive and Durable

While preserving your tooth’s structural integrity may be the primary motivation in placing a porcelain crown, we recognize that you are invested in your smile’s appearance, too. Porcelain crowns help us to address both of these issues.

Porcelain is surprisingly strong after it is bonded to the tooth and supported by the underlying tooth structure. In some cases, the porcelain may be fused to metal for extra durability without sacrificing the appearance of the restoration.

Of course, you must take good care of your porcelain crowns in order to get the maximum lifespan from them. Follow our directions to maintain the restorations, and they should last for years.

Porcelain is so valuable in crowns because it is quite similar to biological tooth enamel in terms of its optical qualities. Porcelain crowns also are custom-designed to blend in with the rest of your smile.

Might porcelain crowns be beneficial in your case? Visit DeSanti & Linden Dentistry to find out. Don’t delay in calling us to schedule your initial evaluation.