What is a dental crown?

 

Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps that fit over your teeth. They can help restore a tooth’s shape, color, and strength. If you’ve lost extensive portions of a tooth to decay or injury, a dental crown is a long-term solution to your issues. A crown can also prevent further damage and decay, which is ultimately better for your teeth and your comfort. The most commonly asked questions about dental crowns are broken down below.

What are dental crowns for?

 

Dental crowns protect a damaged tooth. They also fill the space of the tooth in your jaw. If your tooth is badly damaged due to multiple cavities, a crown makes more sense than fillings. Your tooth is cleaned and drilled down, and the crown is placed over it. The crown now serves as both protection for your tooth and chewing surface. Let’s face it, missing teeth make you look older, even you aren’t smiling. Dental crowns help to restore the appearance of your face and protect your tooth from future decay and stress.

What does a dental crown look like?

 

Dental crowns can be made of several different materials. If you opt for a metal crown, it will look like either a gold or silver tooth. However, more and more dental crowns are made using porcelain fused to a metal structure. These closely resemble your natural tooth color and shape. There’s a good chance no one looking would even be able to tell which tooth is a crown and which is your natural enamel.

Can you crown a front tooth?

 

In a word: yes. You can crown a front tooth. In fact, some dentists specialize in front tooth crowns. The crown process is no different between the front and rear teeth. The only concern is making the tooth fit your natural look as closely as possible. Metal crowns are very rarely used on front teeth. Obviously, this is for purely aesthetic reasons. Otherwise, the dental crown is placed and functions well. Front teeth often get dental crowns when fillings would be very obvious and negatively impact the look of the front teeth.

How much does a crown cost?

The cost of a crown will vary a lot, depending on the placement, the materials you pick, and where you have it done. The cheapest crown is not always the best crown. You want an experienced dentist and high-quality materials so that your dental crown can last a long time. On average, people wind up paying $600-$2,000 out of pocket by the end of the procedure. However, if you have dental insurance, the amount that you’ll have to pay will depend on your coverage.

 

Dental crowns are a great tool to have. In the event that your tooth is badly decayed or damaged, dental crowns can give you back the appearance of your natural smile. They protect your tooth from further harm while giving you a new, stronger chewing surface. While a crown may be expensive to have placed, it’s well worth it in the long run. Whether you want to preserve the appearance of a front tooth, or just need a strong rear tooth, dental crowns could be the way to go.