How Do Dental Crowns Help My Smile?

A dental crown is a restorative dental solution, meaning that its purpose is to fix structural damage to a tooth. It features a ceramic cap that fits over a vulnerable tooth, sealing into place and protecting it from external threats.

Dentists will utilize a crown for a variety of reasons. Its popularity stems from its effectiveness in enhancing the function and appearance of a patient’s smile. Dr. Matthew Gerald, a dentist serving patients in Vienna, VA, describes four ways that dental crowns can boost your oral health.

How Do Dental Crowns Help My Smile?

4 Benefits from Dental Crowns

Replace Eroded Tooth Enamel

Your teeth have an outer, protective layer called enamel. This shields the sensitive interior of your teeth and endures wear and tear on a regular basis. However, enamel may erode over time due to poor oral habits or factors beyond a patient’s control like aging.

Once enamel deteriorates, it cannot regrow. But your dentist may use a dental crown to replace the weakened enamel. The crown covers the tooth, protecting it from external stimuli for fifteen or more years.

Repair Tooth Breakage

While your teeth are durable, accidents can happen that will hurt your teeth. A crack, chip, or fracture in your tooth can disrupt your smile’s appearance. But this damage will worsen without restorative treatment from your dentist.

Your dental professional can amend tooth breakage using a dental crown. The cap will rebuild the structure of your tooth after an injury and shield it from threats, including infections that may impact the vulnerable tooth pulp. It can provide similar protection and restoration for a tooth following treatment for advanced tooth decay.

Whiten Discolored Teeth

Dental crowns are known to restore a patient’s dental health, function, and structure. But these fixtures can have aesthetic benefits as well. A dentist builds a dental crown on a personalized basis.

This means that the crown is made to suit the size, shape, and color of a patient’s surrounding teeth for a beautiful and natural-looking finish. The crown can also be employed for patients who would like to enhance their tooth color after deep discoloration. The cap will make the tooth appear brighter, giving them the smile of their dreams.

Support Teeth After Oral Surgery

Dental crowns are effective treatments on their own. They can also provide crucial support for a tooth after it undergoes oral surgery.

For instance, a crown can preserve a tooth after completing root canal therapy. It also serves as a prosthetic tooth for patients receiving permanent tooth replacement with a dental implant. Ask your dentist about the many advantages of a dental crown for your oral health needs.

Dental Crown Procedures and More in Vienna, VA

Dr. Gerald offers dental crowns and other restorative dental treatments to patients in Vienna, VA. He also specializes in general and cosmetic dentistry for all ages. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gerald, call 703-721-4796 or request a dental exam online.