Why Do I Need a Crown?

Having a crown done is a very common practice in a dental office.  If it's your first you may have some questions.

The following are the most common reasons to crown a tooth:

• Cracked Tooth.  If a tooth is cracked, in order to keep that tooth together and keep that crack from spreading, a crown is placed over the top of the tooth.  The crack is still present but the tooth will no longer flex with chewing and temperature changes.  Keeping that crack right where it is, away from the nerve.
• If the Tooth has a Root Canal.  When you have a root canal, the nerve is removed and the tooth is now 'hallowed out'.  A hallow tooth is more at risk for cracking and breaking.  Since you no longer have a nerve in the tooth you can't feel if this is happening.  A crown, covering that tooth, protects it from breaking.
• Discolored or Misshapen Teeth.  For stains that won't whiten away or teeth that are a funny shape, a crown can make teeth more uniform in color and shape.
• A Lot of Decay.  A tooth with a lot of decay cannot support a filling.  You need a certain portion of natural tooth to support, not only a filling, but to withstand chewing forces.  If there isn't much healthy tooth left then your only option is to crown it, to avoid an extraction.
• Broken Tooth.  Same as a tooth with a lot of decay; if a large portion of the tooth is gone, it can't be filled.  Crowning is the only option to ensure longevity of that tooth.
• Wear.  Depending on how severe the wear is, in order to build it back up to where it was a crown is needed.

When doing a crown we can contour the tooth to fit ideally in your mouth.  We take into account what area is broken/decayed/worn to fit in with the surrounding teeth.  This can repair food catches, idealize contour of the tooth and reduce sensitivity to name a few.  Crowns are custom made to only fit that one tooth and provide you with a more predictable, attractive result.  Before crowns, a damaged tooth would have been pulled, now a crown allows you to keep a damaged tooth for a long time, often the rest of your life.  

A crown is nothing to be ashamed of.  In fact, you may not ever even notice them; they look and feel like a natural tooth.