What Happens If You Wait Too Long to Get a Crown?
Tooth crowns can be described as a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over a damaged tooth to restore its appearance and function. They have been used for a long time and have been the go-to option for people who wish to restore a tooth’s natural strength, shape, size and appearance.
Due to the incorporation of technology in dentistry, our dentist in Pittston offers various types of crowns fashioned from different materials such as resins, metals, porcelain, etc.
You will need to consider a number of factors when you are selecting a dental crown to match your need, such as:
- Strength
- Cost
- Durability
- Aesthetic values
Most patients who need dental crowns opt for natural-looking dental crowns, which will boost the appearance of their smiles.
Reasons for Getting a Dental Crown
Our dentist may help you get a dental crown not only to improve the aesthetics but also to improve the function of the damaged tooth. Let’s check out the main reasons for getting dental crowns:
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- Aesthetic Reasons
Our dentist may recommend that you undergo dental crown treatment to remedy dental cosmetic flaws such as chips and restore your smile.
Your teeth may also be stained because of overexposure to certain teeth-staining substances such as coffee, tobacco, or even tea. You may try to deal with the stains via the traditional route, teeth whitening using bleaching agents, and the stains may never come off. In this case, a dental crown can be placed over such teeth to alter their appearance.
Lastly, you may have misshaped or crooked teeth that will change the appearance of your teeth and negatively impact your smile.
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- Functional Reasons
Dental crowns also serve another critical purpose, which is to restore the function of your tooth. It will be difficult to enjoy your meals whenever your tooth undergoes structural issues.
So, a crown will fortify a weakened or damaged tooth. For instance, if you suffer trauma to the tooth, which causes your tooth to crack, you will need a crown to hold the tooth together.
The other scenario would be when you have your tooth filled multiple times or if you have a chunky filling, then using a crown will be the best scenario if you are to strengthen your tooth.
Lastly, if you go for a dental crown, you will need a tooth crown to cover the implant.
What to Expect When Getting Your Dental Crown
Getting a dental crown will require several steps. Our dentist will begin by preparing your teeth. This means that the decayed part or any old filling will be removed. Next, our dentist will remove a small amount of enamel to make proper room for the crown. Then our dentist will shape the tooth.
Our dentist will proceed by using a scanner to get an impression of your tooth, which will help fabricate the permanent crown. Then you will receive a temporary crown while you wait for your permanent crown.
You will go home and wait for about two weeks before receiving your permanent crown. When it’s ready, you will come to our office and our dentist will remove the temporary crown and place your permanent crown using dental cement.
Once the dental cement is cured, the crown will remain intact for about two decades, only if you care for it properly.
What Happens If You Wait Too Long to Get a Dental Crown?
In most cases, our dentist will suggest you get a dental crown when you have severe tooth decay. So, let’s assume you hold off getting a dental crown and play out the scenario.
Every cavity begins at the outer layer of the tooth, known as the enamel. You won’t feel pain at this stage since the enamel is made entirely of minerals. The cavities are usually smaller, but if they are caught early, a tooth filling can restore your tooth.
However, the cavities will get larger and destroy more of the tooth structure as time goes by. At some point, the cavity will become too large that your tooth structure cannot support a tooth filling. So, a dental crown becomes the next best option.
But if you still dilly-dally and do not get a dental crown, then the cavity will eventually find its way into the inner layer of the tooth, where there are nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. This is the stage where patients begin to feel pain. Then, our dentist may need to perform a root canal to remove the infected pulp.
If the damage on the tooth structure is too much, then there will be no need for a root canal since there won’t be enough tooth structure to hold a filling or support a dental crown. Therefore, the next best option will be to remove the tooth to deal with the infection.
The good news is that if you get a dental crown at the right time, you will not need to worry about tooth extractions.
So, contact us today at Polit & Costello Dentistry to schedule an appointment.