Porcelain Crowns
Regardless of how hard we try to take really good care of our teeth, they may still become damaged or grow badly decayed. Fortunately, Cornelius Dental Clinic has a solution available for you when this happens: Crowns (a.k.a. caps) are covers shaped like teeth that you can have placed over the top of these teeth.
How Crowns Fit Into Your Mouth
We’ll start the crowning process by giving you a shot of local anesthetic (e.g., lidocaine), so you won’t feel anything while we work in your mouth. You’ll still experience some sensitivity and soreness in this area of your mouth when the local anesthesia wears off though. However, it’ll be very minimal and short-lived. Anything that lasts longer is probably caused by you biting down on the crown, so you’ll want to make an appointment for us to check and adjust this for you. Once we’ve made these adjustments, the pain will subside within a few weeks, and your crown will start feeling like a normal part of your mouth.
Choosing The Right Crown For Your Mouth
There are several different types of crowns available for you to choose from today (e.g., gold, metal, stainless steel, porcelain which is also known as all-ceramic). All of them will provide you with an effective solution though. Some considerations do need to be made while thinking through your decision here though.
For instance, gold crowns offer the greatest longevity, and they’re also the most predictable type of crown, but you may not want this shiny object in your mouth. This is fine since an all-ceramic crown can give you the same great benefits, just with a duller appearance. Of course, this is only one of the things you should consider here, but remember you don’t have to make these decisions on your own as we’re here to help you with them.
The Lifespan Of Crowns
Porcelain crowns are the ones that’ll look the most like the teeth you already have. Unfortunately, though, they’re also the most brittle – more so than any metal or composite that manufacturers use when making crowns. This is important for you to understand because it means they’ll chip easier, which is why you shouldn’t get them for your back teeth especially. For these teeth, we highly recommend using porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. When you heed these considerations, your crowns will last anywhere from 5-30 years.
You can tell when it’s time to replace your crowns. This is because your gum tissue in that part of your mouth starts receding. When this happens, it’ll leave behind a dark margin on your gumlines. Get your crowns fixed immediately when this happens because otherwise, you may develop an infection. Another sure sign that you need your crowns replaced is when they appear worn or develop cracks.
Take your time and thoroughly investigate crowns before deciding they’re what you want in your mouth. There’s much information here, but we’re also available to answer your questions. Give Cornelius Dental Clinic a call at (971) 317-9323 and schedule a time to talk to us.