1

What Are Dental Crowns?

  • Blog >
  • What Are Dental Crowns?
RSS Feed

What Are Dental Crowns?

How dental crowns from your dentist in Decatur, IL, can improve your smile

If your teeth are broken, fractured, cracked, or have other evidence of damage, they need protection. After all, if you bite down on an dental crownsalready injured tooth, you are at risk of additional damage and loss of overall structure. Luckily, dental crowns work to prevent your tooth from breaking. Dr. Carol A. Cunningham of the Gentle Art of Dentistry in Decatur, IL, offers a full range of dental services including dental crowns to help protect your smile—read on to learn more!

 

About Crowns

A dental crown is a restoration that covers the entire surface of your tooth above the gumline. It protects your tooth like a suit of armor, holding your tooth together. Unlike fillings, which can weaken teeth, a dental crown strengthens your tooth by evenly distributing the biting and chewing stress across the entire surface of your tooth.

You may need a dental crown if you have a tooth that:

  • Is cracked, fractured, or broken
  • Already has a large filling and the filling is leaking
  • Has been weakened from previous root canal therapy
  • Is badly decayed with significant loss of tooth structure

Not only do crowns provide the strength needed by your damaged teeth, but will also beautify your smile! This is because modern crown materials closely resemble the appearance of natural teeth. You can choose:

  • A full porcelain crown, which is the most lifelike dental crown. Porcelain reflects light, just like natural tooth enamel, making porcelain crowns look just like a natural tooth. Porcelain is also stain resistant, so your new crown will stay beautiful for years!
  • A porcelain-fused-to-metal crown, also known as a PFM crown. These crowns combine the beauty of porcelain with the strength of a metal underlay. Although they do lose light reflective qualities because of the metal, they do gain added strength for chewing. This extra fortitude makes PFM crowns an excellent choice for back teeth.

To view amazing before-and-after photos of Dr. Cunningham’s patients, please visit the Smile Gallery section on the Gentle Art of Dentistry website at http://www.gentleartofdentistry.com/gallery.html

 

Interested? Give Us a Call!

Dental crowns can help strengthen your smile and make it more beautiful too. To find out more about how crowns can help your smile, dial (217) 422-7448 to schedule an appointment at Dr. Cunningham's Decatur office!