Not only are damaged or decayed teeth painful and difficult to live with but they can steal your self-confidence and make you feel reluctant to smile. This is especially true when that damage or decay involves a front-facing tooth.
Fortunately, there are restorative dental procedures that can save your teeth and fix your smile.
One of the most common of those procedures is the dental crown. This simple restoration is most often used to save a molar, but if you’re concerned about saving a front-facing tooth, you’ll be happy to know that there is such a thing as front tooth crowns.
Read on if you’d like to learn more about front tooth crowns and how they might save your smile.
What Are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are a well-known restorative procedure for teeth that have experienced significant damage or decay. The crown is a small cap that is fixed over the natural tooth permanently to restore form and function. Crowns can be made from metal, ceramic, porcelain, or composite resin and are designed to look and feel just like a natural tooth.
Front Tooth Crowns
While they’re primarily used on molars, dental crowns can be used on your front-facing teeth under certain circumstances. Front tooth crowns may be a little less known, but they’re just as effective, and they can work miracles on a smile that’s in need of repair.
Front tooth crowns are most often made from ceramic or porcelain because of the natural tooth-like coloring that these materials provide. Color is particularly important when restoring a front-facing tooth, as those are the teeth that make up the majority of your smile. Your dentist will place extra emphasis on getting just the right shade when you receive a front tooth crown.
Reasons Why You Might Need a Front Tooth Crown
Front tooth crowns are not always the best solution for your damaged or decayed front-facing teeth. For instance, sometimes, you might just need a little bonding rather than a full crown, and in other situations, you may opt for dental veneers to restore the appearance of multiple teeth at once.
Below are the circumstances under which front tooth crowns can prove the most effective.
Severely Damaged Teeth
Bonding can take care of a smaller chip or other light damage, but it may not be enough if the tooth has sustained significant damage. When that’s the case for you, a front tooth crown may be the best solution.
Significant Decay
Typically, the first solution to tooth decay is a filling, but after a certain point, the decay may be too significant, and other measures will have to be taken in order to save your tooth. One option that your dentist may recommend is a front tooth crown, which can help to tackle tooth decay better than any filling can.
After a Root Canal
Root canal therapy is a treatment designed to save an infected tooth. Sometimes after a root canal, it’s necessary to place a crown on the affected tooth. If you receive a root canal on a front-facing tooth, a front tooth crown might be necessary.
Some Front Tooth Crown Tips
If you’re set to receive a dental crown on one or more of your front-facing teeth, there are a few things you’ll want to know before your appointment and a few other things you’ll need to keep in mind afterward in order to take good care of your crown.
Get Your Teeth Whitened Beforehand
The materials used to create front tooth crowns can’t really be whitened. This means that if you whiten your teeth after receiving the crown, it’s not going to match them. To avoid this issue, whiten your teeth before you have the shade of your crown decided.
Stick to a Good Oral Hygiene Routine
This is always sound advice, really, but if you want to take care of the crown that saved your smile, make sure to brush twice a day, floss once a day, and see your dentist for a routine checkup once every six months.
Treat Your Dental Crowns with Extra Care
Your front tooth crown is made of tough and durable material, but it’s not quite as strong as a natural tooth, and even those can chip and break sometimes if you’re not careful. To make sure your crown lasts as long as possible, avoid biting and chewing on things like pen caps and ice cubes, and avoid using your teeth for anything they don’t need to be used for.
In Need of a Front Tooth Crown?
Dr. Brett Langston can help improve your smile with a crown or any other dental procedure you need. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.