Have you ever been told you need a "crown" for your teeth? Are you confused why you may need a crown for your tooth? There are many reasons why a crown be necessary but the dentist is likely recommending a crown for one(or more) of the following reasons...

1. Crack in the tooth(may or may not cause sensitivity). Sensitivity can in the form of hot/cold and/or bite sensitivity.

2. Tooth decay(cavity) around a tooth. Large decay around an untouched tooth or decay around an existing filling can both be reasons. If the tooth has never been worked on..then it will depend on how and where the decay is.

3. Tooth has been root canal treated. More common in back teeth but also seen on front teeth. All back teeth that have needed a root canal ABSOLUTELY need a crown!

4. Severely malpositioned, misaligned or discolored tooth. These are obvious more "esthetic" reasons vs the reasons above which are more "functional reasons".

4. Tooth that has large filling on a patient that grinds their teeth at night or clenches their teeth during the day. Teeth with very large fillings are much more likely to fracture.

5. An existing crown that has fractured(such as the porcelain) or has new tooth decay around the crown.

While these are only a couple reasons why we recommend crowns, its important to ask your dentist what a crown is, why you need a crown, the benefits of a crown and certainly the consequences of NOT getting a crown.

Happy Crowning!

Dr.G