There are a number of reasons as to why teeth become worn and prone to breakage. It could simply be due to age, or it could be due to tooth decay or grinding of the teeth. Whatever the reason, if the wear and tear on the teeth becomes too great they will eventually crack or break.

There are a couple of options that can be used to deal with worn or broken teeth. The first is crowns; crowns are essentially caps, which cover the tooth to provide additional strength. They also protect the natural tooth from further wear and tear and work towards giving a healthier look to your mouth.

The dental crown process

Crowns are only used to cover existing teeth and cannot be used to replace a missing tooth or one that has had to be removed. The process of having a crown or crowns fitted usually takes about two appointments once it has been established that they are suitable for you. The first appointment will involve impressions and scans of your mouth to aid the process of creating the crowns so they match your existing teeth. During this appointment the dentist will also shape the tooth or teeth and fit a temporary crown.

The second appointment will be about 7 days later when the crown or crowns have been created and are ready to be fitted. The temporary crowns will be removed and the permanent ones will be fitted. With proper oral care and hygiene crowns can last for an average of ten years.

Crowns are often used after root canal treatment, to strengthen the tooth once the therapy has been carried out and the tooth’s internal dental pulp has been removed.

For more information on dental crowns please feel free to call our practice near Kew for more information.