Dental Crowns and How They Benefit Your Smile. Family and Cosmetic Dentist Irvine.

Let’s be honest. We all dislike our smiles at some point in our lives. Whether our teeth look too yellow or they appear too crooked, we all want a beautiful, white smile we can feel proud of. The solution to a poor smile can be found in one little dental appliance: dental crowns.

If you don’t know much about these devices or exactly what they do, read on. In this blog, we’ll discuss dental crowns at length. We’ll tell you what they are, what they do, and how you can benefit from these dental caps.

What Dental Crowns Are

As previously mentioned, dental crowns are small dental devices, commonly known as dental caps, that cover your teeth to improve their look and function. Crowns also protect your already damaged and fragile teeth from further harm.

Essentially, a crown is a false tooth that covers a damaged or severely discolored tooth. Your dentist will place the cap over top of the natural tooth to enhance your smile. Dental crowns also provide extra support and protection for teeth that are weak or damaged.

Additionally, crowns can be used along with dental implants (a titanium screw that embeds into your jaw bone) to completely fill a gap in your teeth.

Crowns can be made from the following materials:

• Ceramic
• Gold
• Palladium
• Porcelain
• Resin
• Silver
• Stainless steel
• Zirconia

Cosmetic crowns are typically made of ceramic and porcelain to better match the color of your other teeth. Metal crowns are a much better option if you need to cover your back teeth, since the metal is more durable. Nowadays, however, many people choose ceramic and porcelain crowns so they can have a fully white smile.

How the Procedure Works

This procedure usually happens within a few visits. First, your dentist will clean your mouth and inspect the tooth that will receive the crown. He or she must examine your tooth to ensure that it can sufficiently support a dental crown. Then, your dentist will file the tooth down and shape it so that the crown can fit properly in place.

If your tooth is broken or too damaged, your dentist will likely fill the tooth so it can better support the crown. Sometimes, however, your dentist may need to remove your tooth and replace it with a dental implant.

After your dentist has prepared your tooth, he or she will then take a mold of the tooth and the surrounding teeth. Some dentists use the traditional method to make molds by using a rubber-like product, while other dental experts use digital imaging and technology to take the impression of your tooth.

Your dentist will send the mold to a lab, where technicians use it to create a custom crown that perfectly fits your mouth. Your dentist will also put a plastic, temporary crown over the prepared tooth to protect it until you receive your permanent crown.

Once your permanent crown has been made, you’ll go back to your dentist. He or she will switch out the temporary crown for the permanent one. Then, your dentist will fit the crown accordingly and anchor it in place with an adhesive.

What Benefits Dental Crowns Provide

Dental crowns can last for 5 to 10 years, but some can last up to 15 years or so if you take good care of your teeth and the crown. You can expect to receive the following benefits when you receive a dental crown:

• Crowns replace missing teeth to keep your other teeth aligned. You can also feel more confident in a full smile.
• Crowns repair broken or damaged teeth so you can eat normally.
• Crowns cover discolored teeth so you can achieve a whiter smile sooner.
• Most crown materials look natural, so no one will notice the caps.

Additionally, crowns don’t shift around in your mouth since they’re cemented in place. You can use your mouth more freely as a result.

How to Care for Your Dental Crowns

While crowns are durable, you should care for them properly to enhance their lifespan. Take the following steps to care for your dental crown once it’s been placed:

• Brush and floss your teeth regularly. Your teeth may feel sensitive for a while, so use a sensitivity toothpaste to reduce the discomfort.
• Don’t chew on ice or similarly hard foods—they could damage the crown.
• Visit your dentist for routine cleanings and so he or she can inspect the crown’s condition.

You should also properly care for your teeth so you can avoid other dental issues. For example, while the crown is impervious to tooth decay, the tooth beneath the crown is not. Avoid eating and drinking sugary or acidic foods and drinks if possible.

Take the First Step to a More Beautiful Smile

If you need to get dental crowns to restore or improve the look of your smile, don’t hesitate to contact your dentist. He or she will answer any questions or concerns you may have about crowns or the procedure. Additionally, your dentist can provide you with further tips to care for your crowns so they last as long as possible.

Need another dental service to improve your oral health? Call your dentist and schedule an appointment today.

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We all know that maintaining good oral health is important. After all, we’ve been told this fact since we were children—and we tell our children this same fact. Yet despite our efforts to maintain good oral health, we’re all still at risk for several kinds of oral health issues.

We’ll go over the most common dental health problems that children and adults face. We’ll even tell you how a dentist can help you treat these issues.

Cavities

Are your teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods and drinks? If you experience discomfort and feel pain in your teeth, you may have a cavity. Also known as tooth decay, cavities are a common oral health issue among dental patients. In fact, some experts say that tooth decay is the second most common disease in the US, only preceded by the common cold.

You can develop cavities when plaque, sugar, and starches combine and stick to your teeth. Sugar and starch particles mix with the plaque and provide an abundant food source for bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria then produce acid that destroy the enamel over your teeth.

Once the enamel has disappeared, the acid then damages your tooth. Then, a hole will appear as the tooth decays. The pain you feel is result of the exposed tooth pulp and root.

How to Treat Cavities

Dentists can usually treat small cavities with fillings. However, larger cavities require more in-depth treatment. For severe cavities, dentists will drill the tooth to remove all the decay. If the decay extended to the pulp, you may have to undergo a root canal. Then your dentist will place a crown over the remaining tooth.

Dry Mouth

If your mouth feels dry for extended periods of time, you could face a potentially serious oral health issue. The saliva in your mouth protects your teeth from bacteria and their damaging acid. Most often, women who are 50 years old or older are at higher risk for developing this issue. Additionally, smoking and taking certain medications can increase your risk for getting dry mouth.

Without sufficient saliva, your mouth can’t fight off bacteria and acid, and your mouth often feels scratchy and uncomfortable.

How to Treat Dry Mouth

If you smoke, your dentist will recommend that you quit. If a medication causes dry mouth, talk to your primary care physician about switching your dose or prescription. You can also try chewing sugarless gum to stimulate saliva production. Also try limiting your daily caffeine and alcohol intake—you could even switch out these drinks for water.

Should dry mouth persist after you try these treatments, your dentist can recommend a mouth gel or an artificial rinse to aid your salivary glands.

Enamel Erosion

Do you drink a lot of soda, lemonade, or sports drinks? Do you eat a lot of acidic foods? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you could be at risk for enamel erosion. The enamel that covers your teeth protects the dentin and pulp from exposure and damage. If the enamel becomes too eroded, you could develop cavities or other dental issues.

How to Treat Enamel Erosion

If possible, reduce the amount of acidic foods and drinks you consume each day. Drink soda and other acidic drinks with full meals or through straws. Also swish your mouth out with water after you finish eating or drinking. Your dentist can also give you additional prevention and treatment tips.

Missing Teeth

Whether tooth decay, an accident, or a sports injury resulted in a missing tooth, you don’t like to deal with this defect in your smile. People can lose just one tooth in their mouth, or they can lose several, depending on the cause and severity of the injury or damage. Luckily, you don’t have to permanently live with missing teeth.

How to Treat Missing Teeth

Thanks to modern technology, dentists have several ways to treat missing teeth. For a single missing tooth, your dentist may recommend a dental implant. This procedure is a little complex, and patients must meet certain criteria to be eligible for it.

Essentially, your cosmetic dentist implants a titanium screw into your jaw. Once the implant adheres with your jaw and your mouth heals, your dentist will top the implant abutment with a fake tooth that matches your other teeth.

For multiple missing teeth in a row, dentists often recommend dental bridges. These devices work similarly to dental implants, but with one main difference. A bridge has two caps on the end that cover your teeth that surround the gap. False teeth are added in between these caps to fill the holes. The device is usually removable. If you want a permanent bridge, talk to your dentist.

Rely on Dental Expertise to Improve Your Smile

To avoid getting one of these common oral health issues, use preventative tips mentioned in this article. If you do suffer from one or more of the above-listed conditions, talk to a dentist immediately. He or she can provide quick and effective treatment to preserve your smile.

Additionally, your dentist can provide you with additional tips and oral care advice so you can maintain your smile after you leave the office and before your next visit.

Sometimes in life, you expect to feel a little sore or uncomfortable. Perhaps after a long day of work, your back feels a little stiff from sitting. Maybe your legs and arms feel a little sore after you get home from the gym. Whatever the case, you know that minor pain and discomfort is a part of life and ignore the slightly unpleasant sensations.

However, when you feel pain and discomfort in your mouth, teeth, and jaw, you shouldn’t easily dismiss the situation. Pain in your teeth, jaw, and mouth is often a side effect of a more serious issue that you should treat immediately.

Below, we discuss some of the most common sources of tooth pain, as well as the type of pain each issue causes. Read on so you know how to better identify your tooth pain and seek the appropriate treatment.

Common Dental Issues and the Type of Pain They Cause

If you suffer from any of the following issues, you’ll likely feel pain in your teeth, jaw, or mouth.

Tooth Decay and Cavities

If you don’t take proper care of your teeth, they could decay over time. As the bacteria in your mouth damage your teeth, you could also develop cavities. These dental caries are small holes that expose the pulp and tooth root. These parts of your teeth are extremely sensitive, and this exposure often results in a sharp pain when you eat, bite, or inhale. Cracked and broken teeth also result in this kind of pain.

Tooth Grinding

Many people suffer from tooth grinding. In fact, the stresses and anxieties of life are the biggest contributing factor to this condition. So if you are stressed or anxious, you’re more likely to grind your teeth—especially at night.

This repetitive motion puts a lot of pressure on your teeth and jaw. However, most people aren’t aware that they grind their teeth in their sleep. If you wake up and have a sore jaw, headache, or dull ache in your jaw and teeth, you likely grind your teeth.

Additionally, this condition can lead to other issues with your teeth. For example, if you can’t correct your teeth grinding, you could accidentally fracture or completely break your teeth—and cause yourself additional pain.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

This issue affects your jaw rather than your teeth, but the pain often mimics a toothache. Essentially, your temporomandibular joint is a small joint that connects your jaw to the side of your skull. This joint also allows you to move your jaw around so that you can eat, chew, talk, and open your mouth comfortably.

When the joint or muscles surrounding the joint become damaged or overused, you experience a lot of dull, achy pain in the area. You’ll typically have a harder time opening your mouth or moving your jaw around. Though this condition won’t usually lead to more severe issues, the discomfort alone makes performing normal tasks difficult.

Loose Fillings

Fillings cover the holes that cavities leave behind. They seal the hole and prevent air, bacteria, and food particles from entering the hole. But if a filling comes loose, the sensitive portions of your tooth become exposed. As a result, you may feel a sharp pain in the tooth. Your tooth may even be sensitive to hot and cold foods.

Damage to the Pulp or Root

As previously mentioned, your tooth contains pulp and a root (or nerve). But if either of these structures becomes damaged, you’ll often feel a deep, radiating ache that can extend to your jaw, neck, and ears. Your teeth are also sensitive to chewing hot and cold foods. If anything agitates the already sensitive nerve or pulp, you could feel more severe pain.

Treatment Options That Can Reduce Your Discomfort

Depending on the cause of your pain, your dentist will recommend one of the following:

• Mouth guards to prevent teeth grinding
• Special toothpastes to reduce tooth sensitivity
• Crowns and fillings to cover breaks, fractures, and cavities
• Pain relievers to reduce discomfort and swelling
• Endodontic treatment, such as a root canal, to eliminate root and pulp infections

Additionally, your dentist will suggest that you alter your diet. As you change the foods and drinks you consume, or as you limit the types and quantities, you increase your chances for better oral health.

If you feel any pain or discomfort in your mouth, teeth, or jaw, take an over-the-counter pain reliever. This medication can reduce the swelling and discomfort until you visit a dentist. If your pain persists after a few days, make an appointment with your dentist immediately.

Before you visit your dental professional, make note of the type of pain you feel, when you first noticed the pain, where the pain originates from, and what things make the pain worse. This information can help your dentist better diagnose the cause of the problem so he or she can create a more effective treatment plan.

Once your dentist treats your condition, ask him or her to provide you with tips and dental care techniques to avoid having dental pain in the future. For other questions or concerns about dental pain or discomfort, talk to your dentist, and he or she will provide you with additional information.