Dental caps (a.k.a. crowns), are a type of dental restoration that will completely encircle your tooth. To know whether you need one, you should ask us several questions.

Why Do I Need a Crown?

There are several reasons why we may recommend that you get a crown. For instance, if it’s painful when you bite down on food, it’s possible that your tooth is cracked, and you need a crown because it won’t heal. If the crack is vertical or traveling to your gum line, you’ll need a full-coverage crown, and if the crack extends beneath your gum line, you’ll need a root canal, crown lengthening, or tooth extraction.

We’ll examine your teeth to make sure that such a crack exists and that your tooth isn’t “crazed” –  meaning it has a stress line. These lines don’t affect your tooth’s structural integrity so you have other options, like whitening, to fix the look of them, unless they have deep stains or the craze lines are really long, an early indication that a crack is developing.

What Other Options Exist?

Sometimes there are other options besides crowns. For instance, fillings may give you some time before you need a crown. However, if a large part of your tooth requires a filling, a crown will still be a better option because you wouldn’t get the same protection from a filling. Extremely large fillings can also cause teeth to break and sometimes become irreparable.

What Would Happen if I Waited?

There is no way to tell if your tooth will suffer if you waited for a crown. It could, or it could be totally fine, so long as your tooth does not currently have a crack. There are a few minor things that could occur though. For instance, your tooth could chip and need repairs or crack and need a crown. If your tooth splits, you’ll need a crown lengthening or an extraction. In some really rare cases, you may need a root canal if you wait.

We’ll gladly discuss these questions and their answers with us if you’ll simply give us a call and schedule a time to do so.