Dental crowns are a popular restorative treatment for broken, chipped or severely worn down teeth. Their longevity makes them a desirable option for patients who do not wish to undergo future treatment for the same problem on the same tooth.
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Though quite durable and cheaper than many of its alternatives, crowns require reshaping of the tooth being repaired and, consequently, the removal of the non-restorable enamel to enable fitting. Most people do not fancy the idea, but there is good news to anyone who wants to keep both their smile and their tooth structure.
Technological advances have changed how such dentistry procedures are performed. Gone are the days when badly broken teeth had to be crowned and repaired and reinforced. Modern dentistry offers you more than a few other alternatives to choose from.
But are there equivalent substitutes to a dental crown?
Doctors haven't come up with a treatment that fully encases the tooth like a dental crown. That is not to say that alternative treatments do not exist. If your main objective is to restore your teeth to their normal look or improve their appearance, there are more than a few treatments to choose from. Here are some of them:
1. Onlays
Onlays encase selected tooth cusps; it could be one or more. Complete onlays cover the entire chewing part of the tooth just like a crown while partial onlays cover only a part of it. A way smaller section of the tooth is trimmed off when fitting an onlay than a full crown.
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2. 3/4 Crowns
These cover the entire top surface of your tooth and all of its sides expect one, usually the one that shows. They are mostly fitted for cosmetic purposes, though they offer almost as much protection and strength to your tooth as a full crown.
3. Veneers
Veneers is restorative treatment used to cover the showing side of front teeth. They are custom made to look just like a natural tooth and restore your appearance. Since less tooth structure is destroyed when fitting one, your dentist should recommend this treatment over a crown whenever appropriate.
4. Fillings
Fillings can also be used in place of a crown but this depends on a number of factors, including whether or not you are qualified for it. A filling may be as cosmetically good as a crowns but they may not be as strong or protective. It is thus not recommended for large cavities or teeth that endure high bite pressure as breakage may be difficult to avoid.
That said, it is not uncommon to hear of a filling that worked perfectly on someone. For a perfectly compatible problem, fillings have proven to be a less destructive and more satisfactory choice for most people. They not only offer a budget aesthetic solution to your wrecked smile, but also work as a near-perfect makeshift substitute for a crown, which can still be fitted on the tooth later on.
If you're looking for a no crown dentistry solution for your tooth problem, call (818)-986-7411 now to schedule an appointment with a licensed dentist.