Crowns are great dental appliances that can do wonders if you have broken or severely decayed teeth. Most crowns last for years with little to no problems, but they are not indestructible or designed to last forever. It’s important that you take good care of your crowns and know the signs of trouble so that if one fails, you can have it repaired quickly.

Here is more information about crown trouble and when to get crowns fixed.

 

 

While most people rarely have problems with their crowns, they can fail under certain conditions. Here is a list of some of the more common reasons why crowns fail.

Crowns eventually get old and break down, but certain types of materials tend to last longer than others. Gold and porcelain crowns with metal inlays tend to be the most durable. Many types of entirely ceramic as well as metal crowns have the lowest life expectancy.

If your crown was poorly constructed and poorly fitted, or your tooth was not prepared correctly, then it will likely break apart or come loose. Properly-fitted crowns should be air-tight and hold up to normal eating and drinking.

Though crowns are designed to be air tight, bacteria could still be present in your tooth at application and cause it to weaken. If your gums are receded, then you could also be susceptible to bacterial buildup and decay below the crown.

If you fail to properly brush and floss all your teeth, especially on and around your crown, then you are at higher risk of crown failure.

While crowns are fairly strong, they are not as strong as your natural teeth. Therefore, if you crunch on hard foods, then you risk cracking your crown’s material. Also, make sure you stay away from very sticky or chewy foods that could tug at and loosen your crown.

Cracks in your crown and other problems are not always noticeable, but will make your crown less protective. Here are some signs that your crown is about to fail.

If your crown is failing, then you may notice a change in how your crowned tooth feels when you bite down, drink something, or run your tongue over your tooth. If you notice any movement, then you need to see a dentist right away, because crowns should not move at all.

When a crown begins to fail, you may notice that your teeth don’t line up the same way or that your crowned tooth feels higher or lower than usual. This could cause difficulty when chewing.

Pain around the crowned tooth is usually a sign that something is wrong underneath the crown. Your tooth may have decayed further or you could have a crack or break in the crown’s material.

Fortunately, many crown failures are fixable. Your dentist can replace the old crown with a new one, provided that you still have enough of your original tooth to do so. If the crown has popped off, but your tooth is otherwise fine, then the original crown can be placed back onto your tooth. And any simple, small chip can be smoothed out with no crown removal necessary.

A crown that isn’t doing its job is not able to protect your tooth very well. If you have a crown that is on the verge of failure, was poorly installed, or has been damaged, call Cherry Hill Dentistry LLC to set up an examination appointment. We also take walk-ins. We can look at your crown and fix the problem so that your tooth feels good and functions well.