Reasons You Should Get a Crown for That Missing Tooth

Unless you’re the queen of England, it’s unlikely that you will ever wear a crown. If you have a missing tooth, however, skipping a crown could be painful and costly.

A dental crown is tooth shaped, and it’s placed over a damaged or decayed tooth. In the case of missing teeth, crowns help keep a bridge intact. The crowns strengthen damaged teeth and help them look better by enhancing shape, alignment and bite. However, when you have a missing tooth, leaving the gap alone tends to result in your other teeth shifting. What can happen is a bad bite as well as a sagging mouth and looking older than you really are. Crowns help restore your smile and facial shape. They also help you correctly speak and chew your food.

In the case of dental bridges for one or more missing teeth, you have at least two crowns for the teeth on both sides of the gap. You also have a false tooth (or false teeth) in between these anchoring teeth. A crown protects a tooth from decaying further, although the case is not the same for the gum line. Because a crown does not deliver immunity from gum disease, it’s imperative that you brush and floss every day.

You can choose a crown that is prefabricated or one that is made to order. Prefab crowns tend to be plastic or stainless steel, and they can be temporary while you wait for a permanent crown.

Since you’re dealing with a missing tooth, it’s likely that you’ll have a bridge. To keep it intact, keep up with good oral habits such as regular brushing and flossing. Also use other tooth care products to clean your bridge for more protection, and stop grinding your teeth. Avoid eating hard foods such as nuts and pretzels so that you don’t break your bridge. To prevent bacteria from building up on your bridge, maintain a balanced diet, and visit the dentist regularly.

The process of getting a bridge is done in a couple of visits. During your first appointment, the dentist gets your anchor teeth ready, removing a portion of them so that they can be crowned. The dentist takes impressions of your teeth and makes you a temporary bridge. At the second visit, the dentist puts in your permanent bridge, and in future visits, your dentist adjusts the bridge as needed.

You’ve read about why you should get a crown for that missing tooth. For more insight, visit this website on dental crown in Raleigh.