Dental crowns are popular ways to effectively address several different kinds of dental health concerns. For instance, they’re often recommended for restoring a tooth that’s been fractured or broken. The restoration completely caps the tooth so that the damage doesn’t continue to grow worse, and it restores your bite’s ability to function properly and comfortably. At our Ankeny, IA, dental office, we can custom-design a lifelike dental crown to fix or improve your tooth in a variety of situations. Once your custom crown is in place, ensuring its success and the health and appearance of your smile may involve a few considerations.
You can’t whiten it
People often undergo teeth-whitening treatment every several years or so to erase surface stains and brighten their teeth’s appearance. However, if you have a porcelain dental crown over one of your teeth, the porcelain won’t respond to teeth-whitening. It also won’t stain, which means maintaining your smile’s healthy appearance will require preventing stains developing on your other teeth for as long as possible. If you do require teeth-whitening, then we may be able to tailor your treatment to whiten your teeth to the specific shade of your blemish-free crown.
You still have to take care of it
Once a dental crown is placed over your tooth, it will protect the tooth from things like the pressure of your bite so that it doesn’t become damaged any further. However, it doesn’t make your tooth indestructible, and the crown itself isn’t impervious. You’ll still have to care for your crown and the tooth underneath it by brushing and flossing every day, and by scheduling regular visits to your dentist for routine checkups and cleanings. Also, avoid things like chewing on ice that could damage your crown or the rest of your healthy, natural teeth.
The tooth underneath it is still vulnerable
For a tooth to receive a dental crown, it has to be prepared first by modifying its natural structure. This means the tooth might be structurally weaker than it was before, and it could potentially still be damaged if your restoration fails. A failed dental crown will leave your tooth vulnerable to bite pressure, and could lead to more extensive damage, tooth infection, or more. Keeping up with good hygiene and visiting your dentist regularly will help you avoid a failed restoration.
Learn more about living with a dental crown
If you have a dental crown, then ensuring it lasts and that your tooth stays healthy underneath it may take a few extra considerations. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA immediately at (515) 965-0230. We also proudly serve patients who live in Alleman, Elkhart, Bondurant, and all surrounding communities.
