A dental crown is a cap in the shape of a tooth. It's placed over an existing tooth in order to protect the tooth from damage and also enhance its appearance. Your dentist might suggest dental crowns if your teeth get damaged, broken, or cracked.
You can also get a crown over a tooth that is irregularly shaped. Dental crowns can also be used as affordable alternatives to porcelain veneers. They can even be used on failed fillings.
But how do long do dental crowns last? And are they right for you?
There have been many major leaps in recent years when it comes to dental crown technology. And dentists are now able to make dental crowns blend in seamlessly with the rest of a patient's teeth.
This makes dental crowns look a lot more like regular teeth. And they're light enough so that you won't feel them in your mouth. In fact, you'll hardly notice their presence at all.
If you'd like to learn more, then keep on reading!
How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?
If you're putting dental crowns on your teeth for aesthetic purposes, then it's important to understand the warning signals that your dental crowns are starting to fail. This is going to help you take the right steps to protect the already compromised teeth from getting any worse.
On average, a dental crown should last you for up to fifteen years. A dental crown that is made of really good materials can last you as long as thirty years.
Many dental insurance providers will pay for a replacement of a dental crown after five years of the first installation. However, if you take good care of your dental crowns, they can last you for life.
Just like your regular teeth, a dental crown can be damaged by cavities and fractures. Because of this, you need to take good care of your crows, just like you would your normal teeth.
You should also use extra care when you're flossing and brushing so that you don't ruin your dental crowns. If you have veneers or crowns that are totally ceramic, you should think about using a mouth guard, especially if you play sports.
If you end up getting hit in the mouth, the guard is going to keep the ceramic protected from fractures. A fracture can greatly shorten the lifespan of a crown.
Of course, you want to take out the mouthguard when you eat and brush your teeth.
What Can Shorten the Lifespan of a Dental Crown?
You'll need to replace your dental crown if it has undergone too much wear and tear. Typical practices that can lead to this increased wear and tear include chewing, hard biting, teeth grinding, and accidental trauma.
You'll also shorten the lifespan of your dental crown if you have an increase in dental plaque. The longer you have a dental crown in, the more susceptible it will be to damage.
With that said, the failure rate after you get crowns is very little. This is due to the fact that dental crowns are very reliable. Also, many of the common materials used for dental crowns don't decay on their own.
These materials include porcelain and gold. However, if you have poor oral hygiene, then your crowns will start to decay.
When your crown decays, you might need to undergo a crown replacement or get a root canal. Your dental crowns might also easily break if you expose them to a lot of stress. For example, grinding or clenching your teeth can significantly damage your crowns.
These acts will push the tip of the crow against its base. This makes a weak spot near the gum. If you repeat this behavior over and over, then your dental crown, as well as the tooth, might break away near the gum
Other behaviors that have similar effects include biting your fingernails, chewing ice, and opening plastic containers with your teeth.
Other Factors
Other factors that might reduce the lifespan of a dental crown include the kind of material that was used to make the item. The amount of the actual tooth that remained during the preparation procedure for crowning and the are of the crown in the mouth are also important.
It should also be noted that dental crowns on the back teeth usually don't last as long as crowns on the front teeth.
The process used for making the veneers or crowns will also help determine the longevity. While it's not that common, a crown can have a defect or be improperly placed on the tooth. This will result in a shorter than average lifespan for the crown.
Because of this, it's important that you get your crown installed by a skilled and experienced dentist.
The Importance of Knowing How Long Dental Crowns Last
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have an answer to the question, “How long do dental crowns last?” As we can see, dental crowns can last you for decades when they're of good quality and you practice proper hygiene. However, they can fail quickly if you don't take good care of them.
By knowing these facts, you'll be able to make more educated and confident decisions when it comes to your teeth.
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