My dentist said that i need a crown. I was like “I Know, Right?”

A cousin of mine had an accident recently(Quite Recently) and he suffered an injury at his lower jaw.

No i am not here to tell you that you should drive slowly or that you should wear helmets ’cause you know all that. I am here to tell you how this world works. (And this is not a sarcastic post.Bit technical post, actually)The doctor advised stitches and dental crown. That got me thinking. Because I had a similar accident almost 5 years earlier and my doctor never advised crown. He thought that my tooth will grow out. And though it never feels different, a broken front tooth is not good for you.

So i am here to tell you about dental crowns(oh don’t detest it. It can come in handy someday, you know)

First what is dental crown. 

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over an actual tooth — to cover it to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance.The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

Now why do we need them(other than the one mentioned above)?

 

1. To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth.
2. To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left.
3. To hold a dental bridge in place
4. To cover misshapen-ed or severely discolored teeth
5. To cover a dental implant.
6. To make a cosmetic modification
7. Protect the teeth of a child at high risk for tooth decay, especially when a child has difficulty keeping up with daily oral hygiene.

Types of crown available(basically what do you wanna put in your mouth)

1. Stainless steel crowns are prefabricated crowns that are used on permanent teeth primarily as a temporary measure.  For children, a stainless steel crown is commonly used to fit over a primary tooth that’s been prepared to fit it. The crown covers the entire tooth and protects it from further decay. In general, stainless steel crowns are used for children’s teeth because they don’t require multiple dental visits to put in place and so are more cost- effective than custom-made crowns .

2. Metals used in crowns include gold alloy, other alloys (for example, palladium), or a base-metal alloy (for example, nickel or chromium). Compared with other crown types, less tooth structure needs to be removed with metal crowns, and tooth wear to opposing teeth is kept to a minimum.Metal crowns rarely chip or break. The metallic color is the main drawback. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.

3. Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike the metallic crowns). However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns.  These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.

4. Temporary versus permanent. Temporary crowns can be made in your dentist’s office, whereas permanent crowns are made in a dental laboratory. Temporary crowns are made of acrylic or stainless steel and can be used as a temporary restoration until a permanent crown is constructed by a lab.

5. Zirconia or milled crown which are digitally constructed either in an office that has the software and hardware to produce them or in a dental lab. Dental offices that have the software and hardware have the ability to produce a crown in one visit with no need for a temporary. These crowns require no impression.

How do i get a dental crown replacement?(oh now you’re interested)

Preparing a tooth for a crown usually requires two visits to the dentist.

First Visit: Examining and preparing the tooth.

• At the first visit in preparation for a crown, your dentist may take a few X-rays to check the roots of the tooth receiving the crown and surrounding bone. If the tooth has extensive decay or if there is a risk of infection or injury to the tooth’s pulp, a root canal treatment may first be performed.

• Before the process of making a crown begins, your dentist will anesthetize (numb) the tooth and the gum tissue around the tooth.
• Next, the tooth receiving the crown is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown.
• After reshaping the tooth, your dentist will use a paste or putty to make an impression of the tooth to receive the crown. Impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth to receive the dental crown will also be made to make sure that the crown will not affect your bite.
• The impressions are sent to a dental lab where the crown will be manufactured.

Second Visit: Receiving the permanent dental crown.

• At the second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check the fit and color of the permanent crown. If everything is acceptable, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the tooth and the new crown is permanently cemented in place.

Now there’s are some do’s and don’t for the use of dental crown. Let’s chalk them up.

• Avoid sticky, chewy foods (for example, chewing gum, caramel), which have the potential of grabbing and pulling off the crown.
• Avoid chewing hard foods (such as raw vegetables), which could dislodge or break the crown.

• Slide flossing material out-rather than lifting out-when cleaning your teeth. Lifting the floss out, as you normally would, might pull off the temporary crown.
• And also, try not to get your crown knocked back while kissing(ok that was not in the research but hey, i needed to get your attention)

Ahh, there’s an old saying that “If everything is coming your way, you are in the wrong direction.”. You gotta take the good with the bad isn’t it?

Problems that can occur due to dental crowns.

• Discomfort or sensitivity. Your newly crowned tooth may be sensitive immediately after the procedure as the anesthesia begins to wear off. If the tooth that has been crowned still has a nerve in it, you may experience some heat and cold sensitivity.
• Chipped crown. Crowns made of all porcelain can sometimes chip. If the chip is small, a composite resin can be used to repair the chip with the crown remaining in your mouth. If the chipping is extensive, the crown may need to be replaced.
• Loose crown. Sometimes the cement washes out from under the crown. Not only does this allow the crown to become loose, it allows bacteria to leak in and cause decay to the tooth that remains. If a crown feels loose, contact your dentist’s office.

• Crown falls off. Sometimes crowns fall off. (i told you so, the kissing example)Usually this is due to an improper fit, a lack of cement, or a very small amount of tooth structure remaining that the crown can hold on to. If this happens, clean the crown and the front of the tooth. You can replace the crown temporarily using dental adhesive or temporary tooth cement that is sold in stores for this purpose. Contact your dentist’s office immediately.

• Allergic Reactions. Because the metals used to make crowns are usually a mixture of metals, an allergic reaction to the metals or porcelain used in crowns can occur, but this is extremely rare.

• Dark line on crowned tooth next to the gum line. A dark line next to the gum line of your crowned tooth is normal, particularly if you have a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. This dark line is simply the metal of the crown showing through. While not a problem in itself, the dark line is cosmetically unacceptable and your dentist may have to replace the crown.

So now you know what a dental crown is. So the next time a knocked up cousin shows up at your doorstep, guide him to your nearest dental hospital(after kicking him in the butt. Why the hell was he speeding?)

Bye