How to Determine if Your Crown (or) Veneer Will Fit Right

Hello, everyone. I’m going to let you in on a little secret today. One of the best ways to determine whether your crown or veneer restoration fits before the dentist cements, is have them take an x-ray. You can tell pretty quickly if there is a big gap between the crown or the restoration. At this point you can assess if the fitting needs to be closed more before he cements it. Hopefully that helps some people out and keeps you from getting your crown that doesn’t fit quite right and will lead to problems in the future.

~ Dr Andrew Spath, Newport Beach CA Dentist.

Dental Implant vs Crown: How to Choose the Right Solutions.

Today, a lot of dental research, news and progression revolves around implant dentistry. In the past when a tooth went bad, or a tooth and nerve died, a root canal was performed to get rid of any infection and allow the tooth to be restored. Dr Spath explains several reasons a dental implant may be a better solution than a root canal and crown in this short video.

Today there is an alternative to root canals called a dental implant. Generally a root canal will still be performed when the tooth structure has a good, or the patient doesn’t have a high risk for decay. The last thing you want to do is to perform a root canal with a crown on a patient who has a high susceptibility to future decay, forcing a retraction of the tooth down the road.

Implant success rates range between 92-97% depending on which jaw they are performed on and the quality of bone. Though root canals and crowns have a similar success rate, the re-treatment rate drops into the low 80 percentile. At this rate it is important to initially determine the best long term solution for the patient, which may be a dental implant.

Reasons to consider a dental implant:

  • If the patient has a high risk of tooth decay (Root canal and crowns get reinfected) an implant is the best solution.
  • If it is the second root canal on a specific tooth (root canal retreat) an implant should installed.
  • If there is minimal amount of healthy tooth remaining to support a restoration an implant should be performed.
  • If a root canal tooth supports a bridge an implant can be performed.

Learn more about Crowns here: Crowns & Bridges

Learn more about Implants: Dental Implants

Tip: 5 Ways to Tell If Your Crown Fits

Dr. Spath describes 5 simple ways to tell if your dental crown fits correctly in this short video.

5 symptoms that your crown may not fit:

  1. Trapping food: Do you consistently get food trapped between your crown and opposing teeth?
  2. Gum inflammation: Have you noticed an increase in inflammation?
  3. Shredding floss: If you can’t easily floss your teeth you may not have a good fit.
  4. You are not able to chew on it: Do you experience pain, discomfort or similar disconnect when chewing food with the crown?
  5. Sensitive to temperature: Have you become more sensitive to temperature?

If you are experiencing any of these systems you most likely have a crown that needs to be assessed.

Contact Dr. Spath’s office in Newport Beach, CA today to schedule a consultation.

Phone: (949) 612-2356
Web: https://newportbeach-dentist.com

When might a patient need dental crowns in their smile?

One commonly used restoration in dentistry is dental crowns. Newport Beach dentist, Dr. Spath, uses dental crowns for a variety of situations in which a patient may need to restore their smile, cover a tooth, or protect a tooth. Here are the various ways in which dental crowns are used in both general and cosmetic dentistry:

Protection

Crowns are made of porcelain, which is a very strong and beautiful material that can be used to protect a natural tooth. Porcelain crowns can be used to cover a tooth that is weak or broken. Patients who have had root canal therapy on a tooth may need a crown to protect it from being damaged .Teeth that have large cavities and have had fillings put in may need a crown. Patients may also need a crown over a tooth that has been chipped or cracked.

Appearance

Just like porcelain veneers, dental crowns can be bonded over a natural tooth to change a tooth’s appearance. There may be different reasons for doing this, such as restoring a molar tooth. In most instances, porcelain veneers are used over teeth near the front of the mouth, while dental crowns are used for the back teeth.

Restoration of Dental Implants

When a dental implant is placed, it may require a full dental crown on top to act as a false tooth. Patients may need dental crowns on dental implants to restore their smiles after tooth loss has occurred. The dental crown is made to match the color and appearance of the surrounding teeth so that it blends in and looks completely natural.

Dr. Spath and his team will let patients know when they may want to consider a dental crown. Alternative treatments may also be recommended, such as dental bridges or porcelain veneers. Dr. Spath will complete a full examination and consultation appointment with patients to determine the best restoration for their smile, budget, and lifestyle, and give them the knowledge they need to make an educated decision in regard to cosmetic dentistry and its effect on their smiles and appearance.