Safety Protocol is Our Top Priority, learn more about our COVID-19 protocol.
Skip to main content

Dental Crowns

Sharing questions taken from Dr. Rubin’s “Ask the Dentist” Home News column.
 
Question: My dentist wants to crown (cap) another one of my teeth but I hate the idea of having another tooth filed down. Are there any alternative treatments to crowns?

Dr: Rubin: When a tooth has already been filled to its brim with a filling material, it might be time for a crown. Large fillings, especially old silver (almagram) fillings tend to leak at the margins and crack over time, leading to decay underneath.

The dentist must then remove the remnants of the filling along with the decay. A crown can save a tooth which is too weak to refill. The tooth must be encapsulated completely by a porcelain or gold crown for strength.

This does require that the tooth be filed down to make sufficient room for the porcelain or gold.

If there is a fair amount of healthy tooth structure remaining, an alternative to a conventional crown would be an inlay or onlay, which is a custom restoration fabricated in the lab from an impression of your tooth.

You Might Also Enjoy...

Happy Holidays!

We would like to wish all of our patients a happy, healthy, warm, and bright holiday! It’s always fun to share the holidays with Dr. Clemente, our favorite orthodontist. See you in 2018!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We would like to wish all of our patients a safe, warm, and healthy, and happy Thanksgiving! We’re thankful for each and every one of you.

Is Dentistry Blind?

Q: When I moved to this area my previous dentist gave me all my records including photos and x-rays to pass on to the new dentist of my choosing. Although I would have liked to finish my work in Arizona, I was not able to do so.

Pulling Teeth, For An Answer

Q: I recently moved to the area, and called a local dental office to see about getting my teeth cleaned. I asked how much a cleaning would cost and was told they couldn’t tell me until I had a complete dental exam. All I want is my teeth cleaned...