If you have a damaged tooth, your dentist will likely recommend restorative treatment using a dental crown. They will secure a ceramic cap over the tooth and seal it into place, creating a shield against further damage as well as enhancing the way that the tooth looks in your smile.
This dental tool offers a variety of aesthetic, structural, and functional advantages, hence its common usage by dental professionals. Dr. Erika Graham, a dentist serving patients in Durham, NC, outlines five benefits that you can notice in your smile if you pursue treatment with dental crowns.
Benefits from Dental Crowns
Replace Thinned Tooth Enamel
The outer layer of your tooth, enamel, serves as a shield for underlying dentin, a layer of the tooth that contains nerves that will send pain signals to your brain when stimulated. Enamel is susceptible to eroding or wearing down over time, especially if oral hygiene has been neglected or an individual consumes acidic foods.
Enamel will not regrow on its own, but your dentist can replace weakened enamel by covering the affected tooth with a dental crown. This treatment will stop dentin stimulation and therefore alleviate tooth sensitivity pain.
Repair Broken Teeth
Teeth are durable, but accidents may occur that can crack, chip, or fracture your teeth. This damage disrupts the appearance of your smile but it may also leave you at risk of infections and other major dental concerns. Dental crowns will protect the tooth from further harm while simultaneously enhancing the look of the tooth.
Treat Advanced Tooth Decay
When you get a cavity, your dentist treats the problem by drilling away the decay and filling the resulting hole with composite resin. For more advanced cases of tooth decay, your dentist will need more than a dental filling to seal and protect the damaged tooth. They will cover the vulnerable tooth with a crown to ensure no further damage accrues.
Brighten Tooth Color
Dental crowns provide cosmetic enhancement for your smile as well as restorative benefits. Crowns are constructed on a personalized basis, meaning your dentist builds the fixture according to the size, shape, and color of your surrounding teeth to ensure a natural-looking and beautiful finish. You can accomplish your smile aesthetic goals by covering severe tooth discoloration with a dental crown.
Enhance Other Dental Procedures
A dental crown offers effective smile restoration on its own, but this fixture can assist dental professionals with other dental procedures as well. For instance, a crown can serve as a prosthetic tooth for patients receiving a single dental implant. It can also preserve a tooth after receiving root canal therapy.
Dental Crowns and More Available in Durham, NC
Oak Grove Family and Cosmetic Dentistry offers dental crowns and other restorative dental treatments to patients in Durham, NC. Dr. Graham also specializes in cosmetic and general dentistry, including sedation dentistry options, for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with our practice, contact our office by phone at 919.899.4467 or reach a member of our staff online.