Dental professionals can tell you that, even though your teeth are one of the strongest parts of your body, they need routine cleanings and proper care if you want them to stay strong and healthy throughout the course of your lifetime. Occasionally, in spite of good oral care, your teeth can develop problems such as cracking and chipping that will require restoration to resolve the issue. 

When problems like these arise, dental professionals often use dental crowns to fix the problem and protect your teeth from developing additional issues in the future.

Dental Crowns

What is a Dental Crown?

Dental crowns are a form of dental restoration that is often used to preserve a broken or cracked tooth. Usually referred to as caps, a dental crown may also be used to enhance the shape, alignment, or look of a tooth. A dental crown is an attached, prosthetic device that is bonded onto an actual tooth and is only able to be taken off by a dentist.

When is a Crown Necessary?

Dental crowns are most frequently used to preserve a chipped or cracked tooth or to recover the usefulness of a rotting tooth. Your dental professional will most likely suggest a crown for reasons such as:   

• As support that prevents a weak tooth from cracking  
• As an addition to a dental bridge
• As protection for a pre-existing dental implant
• As a substitution for a filling in a rotten tooth  
• As a cover for a broken or discolored tooth  
• As protection for a tooth that has had a root canal  

Dental Crown Options 

Depending on your individual situation, your dental professional may use one of many different kinds of dental crowns. 

• Ceramic: Ceramic crowns are manufactured from a transparent material
• Porcelain: Porcelain crowns manufactured with or without metal
• Resin: Resin crowns manufactured from economical composite materials 
• Metals: Metal crowns are manufactured from a gold alloy that is a mixture of copper, gold, and other metals

There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to each kind of dental crown. To make sure that you make the best choice for your situation, be sure to review them with your dental professional. Your unique situation, along with any allergies you might have, will decide what kind of dental crown will be used to preserve your damaged tooth.  

At McBride Dental, we want to help you and your family do everything possible to have and preserve healthy teeth and gums. By scheduling regular appointments with your California family dentist and practicing the oral care techniques we teach you, your whole family will easily maintain teeth that are healthy, strong, and effective.

The San Marcos offices of Dr. Michael McBride are staffed with reputable, professional San Diego dentists that are ready to address any concerns you may have regarding common dental procedures, as well as preventative, cosmetic, or restorative dentistry. We also provide sedation dentistry treatments as an option for our patients with severe dental anxiety.

It is our job to help you and your family establish healthy dental habits to make sure that your teeth will always be there when you need them and your smile will always look great.