Dental Crowns in Jonesboro, AR

What Is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a prosthetic tooth made to repair a badly damaged tooth that will no longer support a “filling.” A crown covers, or “caps,” the natural tooth to support and prevent any future cracking of the tooth.

Crowns can also be used to achieve major cosmetic goals, including covering discolored or misshapen teeth. Crowns can be made of all-porcelain, porcelain fused to a metal base, or gold. This depends on the goals of each case.

Why Do I Need a Crown?

Because your tooth is broken—Dental crowns are most commonly needed when something happens to your tooth that causes a large piece to break off. A large, or even a smaller, cavity near a large, older filling can weaken the tooth and cause the tooth to break. In general, a tooth crown is necessary if more than one-half of the natural tooth is lost or any of the pointy cusps on back teeth are broken.

Because your tooth is about to break—We see signs that a tooth is about to break frequently at check-up appointments. Even if you are not yet having symptoms with a tooth, we can prevent you from having to call us for an emergency dental visit when the tooth breaks on Saturday night or while on vacation in Hawaii. X-rays and thorough exams by our doctors help prevent you from experiencing unnecessary pain.

Because your tooth hurts when you chew, and you don’t know why—CTS, or cracked tooth syndrome, is a common problem associated mostly with older metal fillings. CTS can also be related to clenching and grinding. This causes teeth to hurt when biting or chewing harder foods like nuts or steak. CTS pain will be inconsistent in the beginning stages and may be hard to reproduce. Most cases we see of CTS involve older metal fillings wearing out and cracking the tooth holding them in. We also see people who clench and grind their teeth hard enough to produce these types of cracks in perfectly healthy teeth. In either case, a crown is necessary to support the tooth and keep the crack from growing. Without intervention, the crack will eventually get large enough to require a root canal or cause you to lose the tooth entirely. If clenching or grinding is the cause, it is also suggested to wear a bite guard to prevent future damage to other teeth.

Because you had a root canal—Once a tooth has had a root canal, the tooth can become brittle and more likely to break while biting or chewing. Teeth that need root canals often have older fillings, crowns, or large cavities that have already weakened the tooth. Almost all back teeth that need a root canal will also need a crown. This keeps the tooth from cracking down the middle and eventually being extracted. Back teeth support chewing forces and will eventually fail without a crown. A front tooth that needs a root canal can be filled if there is enough healthy tooth structure remaining, in some cases.

Porcelain Crowns and Veneers for Cosmetic Dentistry in 72401

Porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers are used in cosmetic dentistry to change the shape and color of teeth. This is done to produce a vibrant and beautiful smile.

Smile design is the key to amazing results for all cosmetic dentistry. Our dentists will talk with you about your vision of a beautiful smile and specific things you don’t like and want to change. After this consultation, we can provide the best options to help you achieve your goals, including porcelain crowns, veneers, and/or teeth whitening.

I Lost a Tooth! Now What?

Even though our goal is to keep your teeth healthy and functional for your entire life, there are some things we cannot control that can cause you to lose a tooth. If you have lost a tooth for any reason, the next step is to look at your options to replace it if you need to do so.

Cosmetic appearance is the most common reason people want to replace a missing tooth. If the missing tooth shows in your smile, replacing it will be a high priority. However, even if it doesn’t show, there are many reasons to replace a tooth. A missing tooth can affect your ability to eat, and there is the uncertainty of how your teeth will shift and space out to accommodate the loss.

Many great options are available to replace a missing tooth, including dental implants and bridges. Let’s talk about dental bridges.

What Is a Dental Bridge? 

A dental bridge is a tooth prosthetic, like a crown, used to replace one or more missing teeth. A bridge uses strong, healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth to support the missing tooth replacement.

Each dental bridge we do in our Jonesboro dental office is custom created by one of the amazing dental labs we partner with to fit your teeth and bite. When complete, the bridge will be permanently fixed to your teeth and will not come out.

Advantages to Dental Bridges:

• It feels like your teeth – Because the bridge is custom fit to your teeth and gum tissue, it will look and feel like a natural tooth.
• It won’t come out - Once cemented, the bridge is a part of you. This means you do not have to take it out twice a day to brush around it or worry about getting food stuck under it.
• You’ll see immediate results – On the day the procedure is started, you will leave with a tooth in the space. A temporary bridge will be made to chew and smile until the custom permanent is complete.

Disadvantages to Dental Bridges:

• A problem with one is a problem with all – A bridge is one piece, which means if you get a cavity or have a problem with one of the teeth supporting the bridge, then the whole thing will likely need to be replaced.
• Bridges are not as conservative as implant treatment - A bridge usually requires us to remove some healthy tooth structure from the teeth on either side to support it (this is not the case if those teeth already require major repair, such as crowns).

What Are My Other Options in 72401?

Dental implants are currently the best option for the replacement of teeth. Implants provide the most natural feeling and function of any tooth replacement. They also are independent of other teeth, so replacement with implants doesn’t require that you lose good natural tooth structure.

For many teeth, removable partial dentures are an option. This is not usually recommended for replacing one tooth unless it is in the front. Partials are the main alternative to implants for cases where all back teeth have been lost.

Call Today to Schedule Your Consultation in Jonesboro 

Ready to learn more about dental crowns and bridges and how they can help you meet your dental goals? Call our Jonesboro dental office today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Brett Burris or Dr. Lauren Harmon.