Most people are familiar with the concept of a dental crown these days, and many people have had one placed without anyone even realizing it. As the name suggests, a dental crown is essentially an exact replica of the top part of your tooth, also called a crown. The dental restoration can help protect and preserve your oral health in a variety of situations, from stubborn cosmetic tooth stains to serious structural damage, and in some cases can even completely replace your useless or missing tooth. Your Astoria dentist, Dr. Leibowitz, has extensive experience restoring patients’ smiles through the use of dental crowns, and today we explore the usefulness of the time-honored dental restoration.
Like a Shield for Weakened Teeth
One the oldest and most common uses of a dental crown is to fortify a weak and vulnerable tooth. For example, if your tooth has been compromised by tooth decay, then treatment will often involve removing the decayed portion of your tooth, clearing away the infection and lingering bacteria, then replacing the excavated tooth structure with a manmade dental filling material like white composite resin. Though white dental fillings are as durable as they are discrete, the disturbance to your tooth can still leave it weak and susceptible to damage. Capping your tooth with a dental crown following a filling procedure reinforces the remaining healthy tooth structure to help ensure its continued good health.
A Lifelike Replacement for Missing Teeth
Traditionally, replacing a single tooth required the use of a dental bridge, which consisted of a fabricated replacement tooth situated between two dental crowns, which would be secured to the two remaining teeth adjacent to the gap, called abutment teeth. With the advent of dental implants, however, tooth replacement was revolutionized as dental crowns were promoted from restorations and bridge supports to unobtrusive, dental implant-retained tooth replacements. Surgically inserted into your jawbone, a dental implant is a prosthetic root device that serves as an anchor for your dental crown, and together, your dental implant and crown restore your tooth’s entire root-and-crown structure.
Find Out if a Dental Crown from Your Astoria Dentist Can Help You
If you have a severely discolored, damaged, or diseased tooth, learn how dental crowns can give your tooth new life and restore your smile’s beauty and function. To learn more, schedule a dental consultation with your Astoria dentist by calling our office today at (718) 728-8320. Located in the 11106 area, we proudly serve patients from Astoria, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the surrounding communities.
