How do I Use a Crown to Fix a Fractured Tooth?

Dental crowns provide a lasting fix to fractured teeth.

A fractured tooth can cause extreme pain, temperature sensitivity or no sensation at all. Regardless, a cracked or fractured tooth requires a fix. Placing a dental crown on the fractured tooth provides the longest-lasting, most secure repair.

Types

Crowns come in ceramic porcelain, metal or a combination of the two. The type of dental work required to apply a crown depends on the degree of tooth damage. Dentists use a drill to reduce the size of the tooth before applying the crown. Deep cracks or extensive damage that includes the nerve will require a root canal first.

Function

Crowns restore the shape, strength and appearance of a fractured tooth. With proper care, a crown will last 10 to 15 years.

Misconceptions

Crowned teeth are not protected from decay. They are actually more susceptible to it. So you must brush and floss properly. And if you think there's no help for severely fractured teeth, such as those broken off at the gum line, you're wrong. They can usually be rebuilt.

References

• Animated-Teeth.com: How are Cracked or Broken Teeth Protected or Repaired By Placing a Dental Crown?
• My Dental Health: Dental Crown: Treating a Missing or Damaged Tooth

Resources

• Doctor Spiller: Cracked Teeth