Dental Crown Facts

If you have a chipped or broken tooth, or have had a root canal done, or are simply not satisfied with the colour or shape of your tooth, you need a dental crown. Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps, generally made out of porcelain, which are implanted over a tooth. The main reason dental crowns are used is to support the tooth with a weak structure. They are custom-made to match the form, size and colour of the tooth and can either be made out of porcelain, stainless steel, gold alloy and ceramic.

Thanks to the innovative technology and numerous dental advancements, today’s dental crowns are long-lasting and extremely durable. Because dental crowns are custom made, they do not differ from natural teeth. Of course, if made correctly. Here are few more facts about dental crowns.

• Dental crowns are cemented over teeth for good.

• Main purpose of dental crowns is to protect damaged teeth.

• Other reasons you should get dental crowns is to make your teeth stronger, to improve the shape of your tooth/teeth, and to improve the overall appearance of your teeth.

• Dental crowns do not last forever. As natural teeth, dental crowns are sensitive to plaque, thus can usually last anywhere from 5 to 10 years, depending on your dental care routine.

• Even though dental crowns are not prone to cavity, they must be regularly and thoroughly cleaned.

• Dental crowns, regardless of the fact that they are type of tooth restoration, can still look natural and if made correctly should not differ from your natural teeth.

• If you have dental crowns, know that they will not get whiter with teeth whitening procedure. Whitening gels only affect your natural teeth.

• Many may think dental crowns are the invention of the modern times, but they cannot be further from the truth. It is believed that the first dental crowns were created by Etruscans, 700 B.C.

• First dental crowns were made out of gold only.

• It is believed that the first porcelain dental crowns started being used in the mid-1800s.

• If you have dental crowns, avoid eating hard foods, chewing gums, and other sticky food.

• Most people do not have any problem accepting dental crowns. However, due to the fact that dental crowns are made out of mixture of metal alloys, some patients may develop an allergic reaction.