I don’t know about you, but I’ve been guilty in the past of leaving my doctor or dentist with questions that I felt too overwhelmed or too nervous to ask. Leaving with unanswered questions or concerns is only doing a disservice to oneself. You have to know that your dentist is there to help you and make sure you understand any dental work he or she recommends you have done.

Maybe you’ve visited your dentist and been told you need a crown and left wondering, “Why can’t I just have a filling?” Oftentimes, a filling won’t be able to help repair a tooth that is too extensively damaged or decayed. Fillings are designed to fix parts of a tooth affected by decay, but the material fillings are made from can’t be used for repairing cracks, extensive decay, or severely damaged old fillings.

According to the Michigan Dental Association, there are a variety of reasons why your dentist may recommend a crown for your tooth including being able to:
• “Restore cracked teeth.
• Guard weak teeth from fracturing.
• Support a large filling when there isn't enough tooth remaining.
• Fix badly shaped or discolored teeth.
• Strengthen teeth following a root canal, when teeth can become weak or more likely to fracture.
• To cover damage caused by decay.”

So what exactly is a crown? A crown, sometimes referred to as a “cap”, usually covers the entire tooth and is typically made of porcelain in a color that matches the rest of your teeth. Crowns are usually made in a dental laboratory to your dentist’s specifications and instructions. The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) explains that crowns are “usually made from porcelain in a color that matches your teeth, and are attached to a strong metal shell.”

The MDA explains that crowns are usually recommended when you have a badly broken, badly decayed, or badly misshapen tooth. So how are crowns made? Well, first your dentist will take an impression of your teeth. This impression is what your dentist will send to the laboratory where your crown will be made. You will have something called a “temporary crown” put on your tooth to protect it while your permanent crown is being made at the laboratory.

You will have a follow-up appointment approximately two weeks or less after the first appointment where you received your temporary crown. At this visit, your dentist will fit your crown and permanently secure it to your tooth, checking to make sure that the shade and your bite are satisfactory.

Sometimes a crown is recommended for a cracked tooth or a tooth with a defective filling. You may not be experiencing any pain so therefore you may resist having a crown made right away. It could be a mistake to wait for the weakened tooth to break or develop an infection. Then you may truly experience pain that could have been avoided if you’d taken care of your tooth when the problem was discovered. Remember, if you’re hesitant to have recommended dental work done because you’re unsure of the reasons why you need the procedure…speak up! Your dentist will be glad to answer any questions and explain any procedures in detail. Your dentist wants to help you.

Bright Side Dental is a dental group with locations in Sterling Heights, Livonia, Canton, and Royal Oak, Michigan. Visit www.BrightSideDental.com.