A crowned tooth doesn’t require any special care or treatment. Its lifespan depends on your oral health habits and dental checkups. But even if you floss and brush daily, your old crown could need replacing.
Dr. William M. Schneider offers comprehensive dental care at his practice in Walnut Creek, California. Crowns are vital in maintaining healthy teeth, and Dr. Schneider is an expert in dental crown treatment. During your consultation, you work together to decide which crown option is best for you.
Signs you should consider replacing your crown
A dental crown typically lasts 5-15 years. Some crowns may even last a lifetime with proper dental hygiene. A dentist uses a dental crown in many situations, including:
- To hold a bridge in place
- To protect a weak tooth
- To restore a broken tooth
- To cover a yellow or misshapen tooth
- To cover a tooth after a large filling
- Cosmetic reasons
Dental crowns are extremely popular, and it’s likely you’ll have at least one in your lifetime. They’re durable, natural looking, and cost-effective, meeting the needs of most dental patients. Good dental habits can extend the life of a crown, but there are cases in which a crown simply must be replaced. Here are some of the indications it may be time to make an appointment for a crown replacement.
Age
If your crown is still in place after 15 years, it might be time to make an appointment for a checkup. Dr. Schneider can tell you if your crown is in good shape. It’s best to take care of this before an old crown becomes sensitive or problematic.
Pain or swelling
If you’re feeling pain or notice any swelling around the crown, call Dr. Schneider’s office as soon as possible. Sensitivity and signs of swelling are indications of a bigger problem, such as a cavity or an abscessed tooth. If a crowned tooth has an abscess, Dr. Schneider needs to remove the crown, deal with the underlying problem, and then replace the crown with a new one.
Receding gum line
If you’ve noticed a receding gum line, it might be time to replace your crown. When gums pull away from your teeth, they’re more susceptible to harmful bacteria. Although plaque and bacteria can’t damage a porcelain crown, acid can make its way underneath.
The bacteria in your mouth produce an acid that can damage tooth roots under your crown and gum line. If this kind of damage goes unchecked, the erosive acid can reach the pulp of your tooth, causing pain and discomfort. Even if you don’t feel pain, dental decay could still be present, creating a weakened tooth that leads to a loose crown.
Bruxism
Bruxism is the clinical term for teeth grinding. If you grind your teeth a lot at night, you may wear down your dental crown much earlier than those who don’t have bruxism. This kind of heavy and excessive grinding wears down teeth much faster, and that includes crowns. Your crowns can be damaged, fractured, or loosened by this wear-and-tear.
Additionally, if your upper and lower teeth don’t fit together correctly, this can also cause an exaggerated deterioration of a crown. Having your bite aligned reduces the impact of chewing and grinding.
Is it time to check up on your crowns? We can help. To make an appointment with Dr. Schneider, call us today at 925-935-2700 or use our convenient online scheduling tool.