Dental Crowns

Keep Your Damaged Teeth Safe

There are numerous ways that teeth can become damaged. Whether you hurt your tooth while playing contact sports, struggle with oral hygiene, or experienced an accident, your smile could be left vulnerable and become more likely to be damaged in the future. You might even end up with a dental emergency and need to have your tooth extracted! Fortunately, our team at Shorewood Family Dentistry offers top-notch dental crowns to keep your compromised teeth in good health. To learn more about dental crowns in Shorewood or to schedule an appointment, give us a call!

What is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a customized “cap” that is made to fit over the biting surface of a damaged or weakened tooth. They can be made out of a variety of different materials, like gold, ceramic, and porcelain. This restoration is generally used for patients who have a:

• Severely decayed tooth with a large filling

• Broken tooth needing extra support

• Tooth that has recently undergone root canal therapy

• Missing tooth that has been replaced with a dental implant

• Bridge that needs support from the adjacent teeth

• Tooth that is misshapen or discolored.

The Process of Getting a Dental Crown

The dental crown procedure is pretty straightforward. This usually takes place over just a few appointments. First, we will examine your smile to make sure that a dental crown is the best option to keep your tooth in excellent shape. Next, your tooth will be prepared by removing a thin layer of your enamel to make room for the crown to fit comfortably. An impression is then taken of your tooth and the surrounding gumline. This will be sent to the dental laboratory where your custom crown will be crafted just for you. As soon as your new crown is ready, we will give you a call to come back to the practice. In the meantime, you will be given a temporary crown to keep your tooth out of harm’s way. Once your crown is placed, it can last 15 years or more with proper care.

The Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown

There are all sorts of benefits that you can expect from your dental crown. Here are just a few of them:

• Increased comfort

• Improved ability to chew

• Prevents future dental issues

• Can last upwards of 15 years

• Appears natural

• Customized for each patient

Crown Materials: What Crowns Are Made Of

Crowns are not one-size-fits-all. The material a crown is made from affects its strength, appearance, and where it works best in the mouth. Porcelain and ceramic are the most natural-looking options and are color-matched to the surrounding teeth, making them a common choice for visible front teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns combine a metal core for strength with a porcelain outer layer for appearance, though the metal can sometimes show as a dark line near the gumline over time. Gold and metal alloys are exceptionally strong and gentle on the teeth they bite against, so they tend to be used on back teeth where they are less visible. Zirconia, a high-strength type of ceramic, is often used when a crown needs to withstand heavy chewing forces while still looking natural.

How Long Do Crowns Last?

With good care, a crown is a long-term restoration. The Cleveland Clinic puts the typical lifespan of a dental crown at five to 15 years, and notes that with proper maintenance some can last considerably longer. Clinical research backs this up: a practice-based study of single-unit crowns published on PubMed found low annual failure rates over more than a decade of observation.

What affects a crown’s lifespan is largely the same as what affects natural teeth - oral hygiene, habits like teeth grinding, and regular dental visits so small issues can be caught early. A crown protects the underlying tooth, but the tooth underneath and the gum around it still need the same care they always did.

Caring for a Crown

A crowned tooth does not require special equipment - it requires consistent care:

• Brush twice a day and floss daily. Plaque can still build up at the edge of the crown where it meets the tooth, and decay can start in the remaining natural tooth structure underneath.

• Pay attention to the gumline. Keeping the gums around the crown healthy helps protect the sealed edge.

• Be mindful of habits. Chewing ice, biting fingernails, or using teeth as tools puts extraordinary force on any restoration - crowned or not.

• If you grind your teeth at night, a nightguard can reduce the constant pressure on both crowns and natural teeth.