Dental Crowns

Do I need a dental crown?

When in doubt you should always consult your dentist. Here are some situations where a crown may be needed:

• To protect a weakened tooth (for example by decay) or cracked, by holding it together and preventing it from breaking.
• To replace an old, broken or failing tooth filling.
• To restore a tooth that has already broken.
• To restore length on worn down teeth (for example from grinding).
• To cover and support a tooth that has a large filling if there isn’t much natural tooth structure left.
• To make a cosmetic modification such as closing spaces between teeth, or reshaping or rotating teeth.
• To hold dental bridges in place.
• To cover a dental implant.
• To restore strength to any tooth that has undergone root canal therapy.

Should I expect any issues or side effects after placing a dental crown?

Here are some common complaints from dental crown patients:

Discomfort or sensitivity: Tooth that was newly crowned but did not have root canal (which means your nerve is still in-tact) may be sensitive immediately after the procedure as the anesthesia begins to wear off. You may experience some heat and cold sensitivity. Pain or sensitivity that occurs when you bite down usually means that the crown is too high on the tooth. If you experience any of those issues you should call us.

Chipped crown: Crowns can sometimes chip. If the chipping is extensive, the crown may need to be replaced.

Loose crown: Sometimes the cement washes out from under the crown. This allow the crown to become loose and bacteria to leak in and cause decay to the tooth. Contact us if your crown is loose.

Crown falls off: The underlying tooth may decaying and loosen the cementing material used to place the crown. If your crown comes off please save it and contact us. Most likely we will be able to re-cement the crown in place. If not, a new crown will need to be made.

Allergic reaction: An allergic reaction to the metals or porcelain used in crowns may occur, but this is extremely rare.

Dark line on crowned tooth next to the gum line: A dark line next to the gum line of your crowned tooth is normal, particularly if you have a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. This dark line is simply the metal of the crown showing through. While not a problem in itself, the dark line may be cosmetically unacceptable and your dentist may have to replace the crown with an all ceramic one.