Am I a Good Candidate for a Porcelain Dental Crown?
Built to be strong and durable, yet visually beautiful with the shine and color of a natural healthy tooth, porcelain dental crowns are a top choice for patients in need of dental repair. Brooklyn cosmetic dentists Eugene D. Stanislaus, E. Lisa Reid, and our team are proud to offer porcelain dental crowns to provide patients with long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing results. But are porcelain dental crowns the right choice for you?
Am I a Good Candidate for a Porcelain Dental Crown?
Porcelain dental crowns are often recommended by cosmetic and restorative dentists, and many patients are ideal candidates for the procedure. You may be a good candidate for a dental crown if you need:
- To support a tooth after a filling or root canal therapy
- To cover or support a cracked or chipped tooth
- To mask substantial intrinsic tooth discoloration
- To top off a single dental implant
It’s important to choose the dental treatment that is best for your own needs. So how do you know if that includes porcelain dental crowns? There are a few potential factors that your dentist will take into consideration:
- Healthy Teeth and Gums: Because a dental crown is a cap bonded over your natural tooth, the underlying tooth and surrounding gum tissue must be healthy. If your tooth has been weakened by tooth decay, that decay must be cleaned away completely before the dental crown is placed, otherwise the decay will only continue to spread until it causes irreparable damage to the tooth, as well as surrounding teeth and soft tissues.
- Bruxism: If you chronically grind your teeth, a condition known as bruxism, your dentist may recommend treatment options such as the use of a mouth guard, before placing a permanent porcelain dental crown. The constant pressure of teeth grinding can cause serious damage to a porcelain dental crown, making them more susceptible to chips and fractures.
- Other Options: You may have heard that a porcelain dental crown is the best option to treat a chipped or discolored tooth, and in some cases this is true. But in other cases, there may be a better and more reasonable option. A smaller chip or crack might be more easily repaired through a dental bonding procedure, and if it turns out that your tooth discoloration is extrinsic in nature you may be able to correct the issue with a tooth whitening solution. Our dentists will make absolutely sure that you are getting the best and most efficient treatment for your needs.
Discuss Porcelain Crowns with a Trusted Dental Professional
The only way to truly determine if you are a good candidate for a porcelain dental crown is to undergo a full assessment with a dental professional who can weigh in any important factors and assemble a clear picture of your individual dental needs. If you are considering a porcelain dental crown for a new dental problem or as a replacement for an existing crown, don’t hesitate to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry office to schedule a consultation today.