Did you know that once you have a dental crown on your tooth, it can last a lifetime? This is only true if you have good oral hygienes by brushing twice a day, flossing daily, use mouthwash, and visit your dentist twice per year for a checkup. By taking good care of your teeth, you can leave your dental crown on for the rest of your life.
However, there are situations where you have to visit your dentist to replace your crown.
Gum recession and tooth decay
If you have dental plaque, it can accumulate in the base of the crown. The dental plaque does not destroy your crown, but the bacteria do. The bacteria can invade the plaque and produce toxins that can erode the material on the crown. They can also get to the root of the teeth and under the gumline as well. If these erosions are left untreated, the decay can reach to the root and pulp of the tooth. This will result in severe pain and agony. If you had a root canal before obtaining a crown, you might not feel the pain, but the dental decay underneath the crown can weaken the structure of the tooth. This can eventually loosen the crown. When this happens, you will need to see a dentist for an x-ray to find out what’s going on. The x-ray on the base of the crown will provide adequate information to the dentist to see if you will need a crown replacement.
Excessive wear and tear
If you constantly eat hard food or grind your teeth at night, that can easily fracture or loosen your crown. Eventually, it can lead to jaw muscle tenderness. It’s best to have the dentist check on your crown during scheduled teeth cleaning. This is to ensure that the excessive wear and tear on the crown can be noticed by your dentist and replace as soon as possible before the pain develops. If you start to notice any abnormal pain or tenderness in the area of the crown, then a trip to the dentist is a must. Pain, fracture, or loosen structures will require an urgent appointment to your dental office. Some dental office can correct your bite so the crown will not be impacted by future force.
Dental crown breaking
Over times your dental crown can get chipped, fracture, or break. Then you will have to repair it immediately. This normally doesn’t happen to the gold crown but is often common in porcelain crowns. If the dental crown only experiences a minor break or chip, then the dentist can help you buffer it. Keep in mind that it depends on the severity of the problem, that is why it’s important to see the dentist if you experience a chip or a fractured crown.
Crowns don’t fit
If your teeth have shifted, and your bites don’t fit together properly, it can result in noticeable soreness in the crown tooth. When this happens, you will need to see your doctor to replace the crown and to wear a bite guard to properly realign your bites.
Unattractive crown
If you don’t like how your crown looks, most dental office can help you replace it. For example, porcelain fused to metal crowns can be very unattractive. It’s hard to tell without wearing the crown, but once you wear it and noticed the feature on the mirror, you could schedule an appointment to see your dentist to replace it.
On average, dental crowns usually last between 10 to 15 years. If you take very good care of your teeth with proper oral hygiene, then it can last a lifetime. If you brush daily, floss daily, mouthwash, and participate in dental check-up twice a year, then you might not have to worry about replacing your crown. Replacing a dental crown can be quite expensive. It can cost anywhere from $800-$1000 per tooth. This is why it’s important to follow your dentist advice and take very good care of your teeth. At EVDP dentistry, we know how important your dental health is. We are experts in the various field of dentistry. When we look into your mouth, we know if a crown should be replaced or not. We believe in the honest truth. If the crown is doing very well, we will not touch it. This is mainly because each time we replace the crown, it can have a negative impact on your roots and pulp of your teeth. There is a popular model, if it is not broken then don’t fix it. We want to ensure that our patients get the proper care without breaking the bank.
The statements on this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author of the blog is contracted third-party writer. East Valley Dental Professionals LLC does not in any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. Always consult your dentist or your other personal physicians for specific medical advice.
Have a question about your smile?
Dr. Smith and our Dobson Ranch team can talk through your options at your next visit.
