By Maylands Dental Centre 
Imagine feeling an unexpected sharp pain while savouring your favourite dish, only to discover that you’ve damaged your dental crown. This scenario is more common than you might think, and, unfortunately, it’s a situation that can cause significant discomfort and lead to unexpected expenses. For anyone who has invested in a dental crown, understanding how to prevent such damage is important.
The concept of dental crown health is a crucial aspect of overall oral health. It goes beyond merely keeping the crown intact and glossy. It’s about maintaining the health of the underlying tooth and gums, thus contributing to a healthy and radiant smile.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how understanding dental crown care and maintenance can save you from such potential discomfort and unnecessary costs. It’s time to invest in prevention and enjoy the benefits of maintaining the integrity and longevity of your dental crowns.
Keep reading to learn more.
Summary of the Content:
- Dental crown health relies on careful dietary habits, regular dental check-ups, consistent oral hygiene practices, and effective stress management.
- Damage to dental crowns can result from biting hard objects, poor oral hygiene, and teeth grinding, leading to dental discomfort, infection risk, and frequent replacement.
- Preventive measures to avoid dental crown damage include avoiding hard, sticky, and chewy foods, scheduling regular dentist visits, and maintaining a healthy oral hygiene routine with non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste.
- Regular care and healthy oral habits extend the lifespan of dental crowns, maintaining their strength and appearance and reducing the risk of underlying tooth decay.
- The dental crown maintenance routine, though initially daunting, can be easily managed and integrated into daily life.
What is a Dental Crown: A Brief Overview
A dental crown, often crafted from durable materials like porcelain, composite resin, or metallic alloys, acts as a vital protective cover. This custom-made restoration is meticulously fitted over a damaged or decayed tooth or carefully placed onto a dental implant. A dental crown, also known as a ‘cap,’ serves multiple crucial functions in dental care:
- It safeguards a damaged or decayed tooth:
Crowns function as sturdy armour, covering and shielding the natural tooth. This protection helps halt the progression of damage or decay and promotes ongoing health of the entire tooth, from crown to root surface. - Restores the tooth’s shape, size, and strength:
Dental crowns can significantly help bring back the natural shape and size of a tooth that has been extensively compromised due to deep decay, a large filling, or oral trauma. Furthermore, the crown helps fortify the tooth structure, restoring normal eating and chewing ability. - Enhances your smile aesthetics:
Dental crowns can be colour-matched to your natural teeth, providing an aesthetically pleasing result. High-quality crowns can seamlessly blend with your natural teeth, enhancing the overall appearance of your smile.
Various types of dental crowns are available, each offering different advantages. The type of crown used often depends on the specific needs and preferences of the patient:
- Ceramic crowns:
These are often used for restoring front teeth due to their excellent aesthetic properties. The material can be closely matched to the natural tooth colour, blending in for a seamless appearance. - Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns:
Durable and strong, these crowns offer a good match for your natural teeth, combining the resilience of metal with the aesthetic appeal of porcelain. - Base metal alloy crowns and gold crowns:
These crowns require less removal of the tooth structure and are highly resistant to wear. They can withstand biting and chewing forces well, making them long-lasting dental crowns.
The dental crown procedure, performed by dentists, involves several carefully executed steps:
- The dentist initially prepares the tooth by trimming the enamel and dentin layers. This is done to make room for the crown. Any decay is also meticulously removed to prevent the progression of the decay once the crown is placed.
- An impression of the tooth is then taken to create an exact model of the prepared tooth and surrounding teeth. This will be used to fabricate a crown that fits well on the tooth and restores the patient’s bite.
- A temporary crown will be placed over the prepared tooth while the final dental crown is being made. This protects the prepared tooth and allows for normal eating and appearance.
- Once the final dental crown is ready, usually after a period of a couple of weeks, it is cemented in place. The dental crown placement process is performed with care and precision to achieve proper fit and comfort.
Understanding Dental Crown Damage: Causes and Consequences
The dental crown procedure is a common one employed by experienced dentists to protect and restore damaged teeth. It provides an artificial chewing surface, restores the tooth’s aesthetic appeal and prevents further harm. However, dental crowns are not permanent. There is always a risk of damage if diligent care is not taken.
Common causes of dental crown damage include:
- Biting on hard objects:
One of the most common reasons people damage their crowns is by biting on hard objects such as pens or fingernails or eating crunchy foods or hard candies. These can exert excessive force on the crown, leading to chipped or broken crowns. - Poor oral hygiene:
An inadequate dental hygiene routine involving infrequent brushing and flossing can lead to