Cracked Tooth? Call The Dentist!
There you are watching a movie, innocently eating your popcorn...
Crack! Ouch! Uh oh? Was that your tooth?
Time to call the dentist!
What is a Crown?
A crown is a covering that sits over the top of the tooth. Crowns protect, cover, seal and strengthen your tooth. When a filling just won't do the job, we often turn to the crown.
There are many situations that may call for a crown:
1. Large old fillings - When large old fillings break down, or get decay around them, the tooth often needs to be crowned. It is important to crown a tooth that has been structurally weakened to prevent further damage such as cracking or breaking.
2. Cracked tooth – When a tooth is cracked, a crown is placed over the tooth to hold it together. If this is not done on time, the tooth can become sensitive or will eventually break. It is important to crown a cracked tooth before it breaks as broken teeth are not always repairable.
3. Severe decay – If a tooth has decay so deep and large that a filling will not stay, or if the tooth structure is weakened, some dental work and a crown can often save the tooth from certain removal.
4. Sensitive teeth – Teeth that are very sensitive, either from a lot of 'wear', or from receded gums, sometimes require crowns to seal and protect the teeth from further hot and cold sensitivity.
5. Broken / Fractured tooth – A tooth that has broken may be too weak to hold a filling. A crown will hold the tooth together and prevent it from breaking again. If the fracture is too deep, Root Canal Therapy may be required before the tooth is crowned.
6. Root Canal Therapy – A tooth that has undergone Root Canal Therapy will need a crown to properly seal and protect the tooth.
Dental Onlays
Whereas dental inlays are designed to treat decay within the cusps, or top projections of a tooth, onlays are used to treat decay that extends to one or more of the cusps. First, an impression of the decayed tooth is taken, and a temporary onlay is placed over the tooth. The impression is then sent to a lab, where a dental technician creates the onlay according to the tooth's dimensions. When the patient returns to the dentist's office, the temporary onlay is removed, and the permanent restoration is placed on the tooth and securely bonded using high-strength dental resins.
Onlays can be created from tooth-colored material, which makes them virtually undetectable to the naked eye. Onlays also help to conserve more tooth structure because their use requires minimal removal a tooth's surface. Onlays help patients avoid the eventual need for more extensive treatment with dental crowns, dental bridges, or dental implants.
Benefits of Dental Inlays and Onlays
In treating dental decay, inlays and onlays help to eliminate tooth sensitivity and eventual tooth loss. Inlays and onlays also offer the following benefits:
- Since they can be made from tooth-colored material, including porcelain and composite resin, inlays and onlays are virtually invisible.
- Unlike metal fillings, inlays and onlays will not expand or contract in response to temperature changes caused by hot or cold foods. This change in size can cause teeth to weaken or fracture.
- The use of inlays and onlays requires less tooth reduction than does the use of metal fillings. This allows dentists to conserve more of a patient's natural tooth structure in the treatment process.
- Because of the way inlays and onlays are made, they help to strengthen teeth by up to 75 percent.
- The durable material from which inlays and onlays are made helps them last up to 30 years, much longer than that of conventional fillings.
- Inlays and onlays can replace silver fillings to create a healthier, more natural-looking smile.
- By saving decayed teeth, inlays and onlays prevent the need for more extensive treatment later on.
Feel free to ask us about 'caps' or onlays on your next visit. The more you know about your dental options the more educated your decisions can be.
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