Find out the purpose of dental crowns and how they could improve your smile.

Dealing with a broken, chipped or decaying tooth? This can cause both aesthetic and functional issues for your smile. Luckily, your Charlotte family dentists Dr. Susan Hockaday and Dr. Jim Baucom can place a dental crown to prevent further problems from befalling your teeth. Find out the reason for dental crowns and the benefits you’ll gain when you get one.

What is a dental crown?

Teeth that have been damaged or weakened in some way can often benefit from dental crowns, tooth-shaped caps that are custom-made to cover the entire tooth and are cemented into place after the tooth has been filed down.

In essence, crowns are designed to provide an additional layer of resilience and strength. While dental crowns can be placed for purely aesthetic reasons, your family dentists in Charlotte will most likely recommend a crown to restore full function back into the tooth.

What is a dental crown made from?

One of the factors you’ll have to consider before getting a dental crown is what material you want for your crown. Here are the most common materials used:

• Porcelain fused to metal
• Metal
• Ceramic

All porcelain or all ceramic most resemble the shade of a natural tooth, which makes this a more popular material for dental crowns. These are also a great option for those who have an allergy to metal. While they are durable they don’t always last as long as metal crowns. Metal crowns also tend to be less expensive.

In what cases can a dental crown help?

A dental crown is very versatile and can be used to treat multiple issues including,

• Cracked or broken teeth
• Teeth that either have severe decay or that have been treated multiple times with fillings that have failed
• To cover a dental implant
• To anchor a dental bridge into place

If you are dealing with any of these issues and think that dental crowns could be the dental restoration you’ve been looking for then turn to Hockaday & Baucom, DDS for all your dental needs.