Do you need to restore a tooth or install a crown?

The installation of crowns for chewing teeth is especially relevant, because due to a large chewing load, the tightness of the seal is broken, it breaks down faster, and chips of its own enamel are formed. As a rule, teeth with large fillings are no longer alive, they previously underwent endodontic treatment and the nerve was removed. And therefore, their sensitivity is completely different, so a person clenches his teeth less carefully, which leads to microtraumas. In order for the restoration to last longer and the patient to be able to forget about the problems in the oral cavity for a long time, we at Sirius-Dent offer the installation of crowns on the teeth of both adults and children.

Preparation for installing a crown includes caries treatment and remediation of inflammation. It is necessary to make sure that the root of the tooth is in order and there is no inflammatory process. If necessary, a pin is installed, which will become an additional support. After that, the dentist prepares dental tissue, takes an impression and sends it to the laboratory, which will make crowns. The finished crown is placed on the damaged tooth and fixed on a special cement.

The service life of the crown depends not only on the skill of the dentist, but also on the operating conditions and oral hygiene. If you follow the doctor’s recommendations (regularly brush your teeth and gums, do not bite too hard food, regularly visit the dentist for preventive hygiene if you have gum disease), then it can perform its functions for the rest of your life.

What are the methods of tooth restoration?

It doesn’t matter whether the patient came in for a tooth that was destroyed by caries, or had already managed to remove the nerve and put a filling earlier, but it is damaged or the enamel has chipped off. After treatment, we offer the following tooth restoration options:

• restoration with sealing material;
• composite restoration;
• restoration with a crown, which in turn can be made of various materials: metal (mostly for chewing teeth), metal-ceramic, zirconium, ceramic;
• an overlay on a tooth instead of a crown is an orthopedic treatment performed by an appropriate specialist. For this, an impression is taken from the destroyed tooth, an overlay (from zirconium, ceramic or photopolymer material) is made in the laboratory and installed in the oral cavity in the same way as a crown.

If several adjacent teeth need restoration at the same time, a bridge prosthesis is made – connected crowns that are attached to the remaining teeth.

How does filling differ from composite treatment?

A filling is installed when the damage to the tooth is insignificant, that is, less than half of the area of the crown part is destroyed. At the same time, the missing part of the tooth is filled with filling material, thanks to which the appearance and functions of the tooth are restored. Such a seal may well be permanent if a person observes adequate oral hygiene. Composite restoration is essentially similar to filling a tooth and differs only in the fact that composite and photopolymer light-curing materials are used, which are placed on top of the damaged tooth (composite veneers). A composite restoration or crown is recommended when the tooth is more than 50% destroyed. At the same time, composite restoration is also possible in the case when the tooth is missing – then it is restored from a composite material on a fiberglass beam.

In which cases, instead of filling and restoration of the tooth, it may be necessary to install a crown

If the crown part of the tooth is destroyed by more than 50%, installing a crown is the most expedient and effective option for restoration, – says dentist-therapist and children’s dentist Alyona Horova. Most teeth that have suffered such damage usually no longer have a nerve, but a crown can also be placed on a living tooth – for example, when the carious process has affected most of the tooth tissue, but not the nerve, or it is a result of trauma.

Some patients, in pursuit of aesthetics, ask to cover living and healthy teeth with crowns, but we at Sirius-Dent can only agree to this when there are objective pathologies, due to which some teeth differ significantly in color. The color of the crown is selected so that it corresponds to the color of the patient’s own teeth and is liked by the patient. If the shape, color or feeling of wearing a crown does not suit a person, correction of the crown is possible at the moment of fixation.

Advantages and disadvantages of composite dental restoration

Regarding crowns, there is still a living stereotype that they are for the elderly. Although this is not at all true (crowns are successfully installed on young people and even children), the composite restoration option is more convenient and familiar for many patients. Other advantages include speed (a composite restoration is done in one visit to the dentist) and a lower price.

However, composite restorations also have disadvantages. The main one is that the polymer material itself is rather short-lived, and such a seal wears out over time. Because of this, the tooth will gradually lose its functions and eventually will not be able to fully occupy its place in the dentition. In addition, if we are talking about a large restoration, there is still a risk of chipping. Also, the downside is that the composite will eventually change color and become more noticeable.

Advantages and disadvantages of installing crowns

Currently, there are no cases when it is impossible to install a crown on a tooth. So, when the crowns were exclusively metal, there were cases of metal allergy. But now there are many options for materials, so everyone can choose the right one. Dental crowns have a number of advantages:

• easier hygiene: it is easier to clean a whole tooth, even an artificial one, than one that consists of a filling and its own tissue;
• proper distribution of chewing load: no restrictions on chewing and biting within reasonable limits;
• long service life.

There are always options for tooth restoration, the main thing is to find your dentist who will help you make the best choice.