How strong are front teeth crowns?
Before we get into how strong front teeth crowns actually are, let us first understand what dental crowns are. Dental crowns are used to cover teeth that are damaged in some way or the other.
Crowns are tooth-shaped covers for your teeth and are sometimes used for cosmetic purposes too. It is also used to protect slightly damaged teeth from further damage. And front teeth crowns are the most visible and therefore have to look the most like natural teeth.
And most dentists will recommend using crowns if your teeth are cracked or are discolored and even if there was some mishap with a dental implant. But the thing is, dental implants themselves come with a crown and you don’t have to get a separate crown, you can just get the crown of the implant replaced.
These days, crowns are so advanced that patients themselves can’t tell the difference between their natural teeth and crowns. Most patients will even forget that they have an artificial crown in a couple of days. But if your crown feels different even after a couple of weeks, you can go and check again with your dentist just to make sure that everything is okay.
Need for a front tooth crown
While we have already covered that you may need a front tooth crown to cover up damaged or discolored teeth, let us take a look at some specific reasons as to why you may need front tooth crowns.
Your need for dental crowns may change depending on whether you are a child or an adult.
If you are an adult, you will need a crown:
- if there is a tooth on the verge of breaking.
- if you have to hold a cracked tooth in place.
- to restore a broken tooth.
- to keep a dental bridge from moving
- to support a tooth that has just been filled
- to cover discolored tooth
- for cosmetic reasons
- as part of a dental implant
If you are looking for a crown for a child, you may consider the following reasons:
- If a tooth is so damaged and weak that it cannot be saved with a filling.
- If a child is incapable for medical or other reasons of keeping up with general oral care and hygiene practices, a crown is placed to protect the teeth from decay.
Keep in mind that crowns on the teeth are placed for children only on their milk (primary) teeth. Also, most pediatric dentists recommend stainless steel crowns for kids.
Preparation of the front teeth for crown placement
You may have to visit the dentist a couple of times before your crown is placed. The dentist first assesses the damaged tooth and the area around it with the help of an x-ray. Once the dentist has gauged the extent of the damage, he may choose to rebuild the tooth to its original structure by filling it with paste or putty like substance.
If some significant damage is seen, the dentist may recommend a root canal treatment for the tooth after which the procedure for crown placement will begin.
Once your teeth are rebuilt with a filling, an impression for the permanent crown is taken and an order is placed. And while your permanent crown is getting made, the dentist will place a temporary crown on your tooth. The permanent crown may take a couple of weeks to be manufactured after which you will have to visit the dentist again to replace the temporary crown with the permanent one.
Ways to protect front teeth crowns
Once a crown is placed on your teeth, it should stay fixed without causing you any trouble for years. A crown is all the protection that your tooth needs. It completely shields the tooth from all external harm. So, if you can take good care of the crown, your teeth are taken care of.
All you have to do is brush and floss twice a day like is normally advised. Also, you should definitely brush your teeth after eating something sweet or drinking aerated drinks. If you don’t do this, even your natural teeth will get damaged. So it is best to limit your intake of aerated drinks or sweets whether you have a crown or not.
Other than this, the doctor will advise you on how and when to consume hot and cold food after placing your crown. Listen to him. Also, you should definitely visit your dentist at least once in 6 months to make sure things are fine and also have your teeth and gums cleaned.
How long do crowns last on front teeth?
How long a dental crown lasts depends on the material of the crown. It could be stainless steel or porcelain. But there are some features of both these materials that you have to understand.
Stainless steel crowns are very strong and durable but appear silver in color like the metal itself. Porcelain crowns will look just like your teeth and appear great and white but are not as durable as stainless steel crowns.
So naturally, doctors recommend that you use stainless steel crowns for the teeth in the back. As a stainless steel crown placed at the back of your mouth would not be visible. And also, you would need a very strong metal crown for the back teeth as these are the most used and are under the most pressure to chew. Stainless steel crowns last for more than 20 years with proper care.
And it is better to use porcelain crowns for the front teeth since they appear great and also, you don’t need the front teeth crowns to be as durable since these teeth are seldom used. Porcelain crowns last somewhere between 5 and 10 years depending on how you care for them.
But if you want the perfect balance of porcelain and stainless steel crowns, there are porcelain-on-metal crowns available that combine the best of both worlds.
Even though we have fed your brain with all this information, it is always better to listen to your dentist and trust him/her to be the best judge of oral care and treatment for you.
