Why Teeth Need Crowns May/June 1983

Crowns are the restorative choice in dentistry when there are large cavities or large areas of broken tooth. There is no such thing in the vast majority of cases as the need to remove a tooth that "won't hold a filling" or is even broken down to the gum line.

After all the decay is removed from a tooth with a very large cavity, there may not be sufficient tooth structure left to hold a filling in place and the tooth intact. Crowns (caps) are a very strong? long lasting means of fixing the tooth along with correct home care further decay can be prevented. A crown repairs, restores, and protects the entire top part of the tooth.

Fillings can leak and crack; decay can also occur underneath them if they crack or the edges breakdown due to age. Crowns may prevent the need for a root canal or even the loss of a tooth. If a tooth is removed (amputated) one has to live with an incomplete set of teeth or a bridge, which means not one but two or three crowns and a lot more expense.

With crowns we are also able to reestablish the correct bite relationship. With the use of porcelain we are able to recreate a tooth that looks tooth-colored and natural when you smile. In our office, the first step in the construction of a crown is the preparation (reshaping of the tooth. Next, an impression is taken to make a copy of the prepared tooth so that the crown can be accurately constructed in the laboratory. Unless gold is specifically requested we now construct Porcelain Veener Crowns as the restoration of choice. A thin, precisely constructed metal thimble that accurately fits the tooth is made. This thimble is covered with a porcelain material called opaque which covers the metal gray color of the thimble. Over the opaque a thick strong layer of porcelain is placed which is accurately shaped and fit to the bite requirements and the shade (color) requirements of the person.

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