Your teeth do a lot for you. They help you bite, chew, speak properly, and enhance the beauty of your face. Even if one of your teeth has damage or goes missing, it can impact your overall dental health. Decayed, stained, chipped, and lost teeth also affect self-confidence.
We offer dental crowns at Advanced Dental Associates to restore your damaged teeth. Dental crowns are one of the restorative dentistry treatments we provide to our patients in San Antonio.
What is a Porcelain Crown?
A porcelain crown is an artificial tooth that consists of high-grade porcelain. We place this cap on top of a natural tooth or a dental implant to restore its form and function. It also helps to protect the underlying tooth from further damage.
We fabricate custom porcelain crowns in a dental lab. Alternatively, we can also provide same-day dental crowns using CEREC technology. Our dentists can place them in your mouth on the same day as your initial visit.
Dental Crowns in San Antonio, TX
If you want an unnoticeable, strong, and natural-looking tooth, a porcelain crown is an excellent option. You can look forward to the following advantages when getting a dental crown at our dental office:
- Porcelain crowns look natural. Porcelain is a pearly white material resembling tooth enamel. Porcelain also has light-reflecting properties that mimic the tooth enamel’s natural shine. Porcelain crowns cover the entire visible portion of the tooth, reaffirming the illusion of a natural tooth.
- The dentist can make a porcelain crown any color. Our dentist can easily tint the porcelain so it matches the exact color of your tooth. Because of this, people prefer porcelain crowns to restore their visible front teeth.
- Porcelain crowns are non-allergic. Porcelain is a biocompatible material, which means it does not cause any allergic reaction in the human body. Hence, it is safe to use in dental crowns.
- Porcelain crowns are highly stain-resistant. Porcelain is a white material that does not allow stains to adhere readily. This means your crown will remain bright and shiny for a long time.
- Porcelain crowns are low-maintenance. Porcelain crowns do not require any special care. However, remember that the treated tooth and gums can still accumulate plaque and are vulnerable to gum disease. That’s why it is essential to exercise good oral care even when you have porcelain crowns.
Dental crowns are useful for a variety of restorative and cosmetic dental problems. That’s why they’re such an important tool.
Fixing Cosmetic Issues
Everyone has discolored teeth at some point in life, because of many different causes. Usually, we use professional teeth whitening to treat them, but not all discoloration responds to traditional methods. Things like trauma and deep staining need something else.
That’s where dental crowns can shine. We color-match a dental crown to be the exact shade of white you need. It completely covers your tooth so that none of the discoloration is visible. Dental crowns can also restore misshapen and deformed teeth as well.
Misshapen teeth have functional consequences when you do not address them. Each individual tooth is vital for chewing and speaking. Different teeth help break down food in specific ways, and your tongue interacts with your teeth to form sounds and words. Our dentists can restore the crooked tooth’s natural shape using a dental crown so it works properly.
Strengthening Your Natural Teeth
A common use for dental crowns is stabilizing a tooth after a root canal procedure. A root canal procedure removes infected dental pulp from the tooth’s center, replacing it with a biocompatible material. However, sometimes the full function doesn’t return. A dental crown ensures you get the full functionality of your tooth back, and seals your tooth from further infection.
A dental bridge replaces a series of consecutive missing teeth but needs something to support it. Natural teeth on either side of the gap serves as anchor teeth for the bridge. However, it puts a lot of strain on your natural teeth. They wear down prematurely and are more susceptible to tooth decay and other problems. Placing a dental crown on these teeth takes on the pressure of the bridge instead of your natural tooth.
Treating Decayed and Damaged Teeth
A dental crown is often the last resort to save teeth with severe damage or decay. We want to preserve your natural tooth structure whenever possible to avoid consequences like jawbone deterioration. A crown can hold together pieces of a shattered tooth or replace decayed tooth structure.
When a small chip of a tooth breaks off, it isn’t a big deal. But when it’s a larger break, there are problems. It exposes sensitive dental nerves and pulp in the tooth to bacteria and infection. It can also leave sharp edges that can cut into the tongue and other soft tissue in your mouth. A dental crown completes your tooth again, protecting your mouth from these dangers.
Limitations of a Porcelain Crown
Porcelain crowns also have a few limitations. Some drawbacks include:
- Putting too much pressure on the crown can chip or fracture it. Do not chew on ice or hard things using your crown.
- If you use a crown to restore a damaged tooth, we may shave off some healthy enamel to accommodate the crown. This makes the process irreversible, and you must protect your tooth.
- Porcelain crowns are more expensive and cost more than porcelain-fused-to-metal and base-metal crowns.
We offer dental veneers, teeth whitening, and more as alternative cosmetic procedures! Ask about these services during your consultation. When ready, request an appointment with us at 210-361-6847 so we can check the health of your teeth. We will only suggest the most relevant treatment options for your oral health.