Teeth are susceptible to damage from decay, trauma, and everyday wear. Even with proper oral hygiene, teeth can develop cracks, chips, or extensive decay that threatens their structural integrity. When damage occurs, dental professionals have various treatment options available, with dental crowns being one of the most effective solutions for severely compromised teeth. Today we will explain how dental crowns restore damaged teeth and improve your smile from both a functional and aesthetic perspective.
What are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are custom-made caps that fit over damaged or decayed teeth to restore their shape, size, strength, and appearance. Each covering encases the entire visible portion of a tooth. Oral care professionals recommend crowns when fillings cannot solve a problem, when teeth are severely damaged or decayed, after root canal treatment, or for cosmetic enhancement of misshapen or discoloured teeth. This treatment is most commonly provided to adult patients who need to preserve their natural teeth. With proper care dental crowns can last between 5 and 15 years.
Types of Dental Crowns
Before explaining how dental crowns restore damaged teeth and improve your smile, we should note the difference between individual types. While all are applied similarly and perform the same function, various materials may be a better fit in some scenarios than others. See a brief comparison below.
Porcelain or Ceramic: Matches natural tooth colour; ideal for front teeth
Metal Alloys: Highly durable; resistant to fractures and wear
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal: Combines strength with aesthetics
Resin: Less expensive but more prone to fractures
Stainless Steel: Typically used as temporary crowns
The Procedure: How are Dental Crowns Applied?
Getting a dental crown usually requires two dental visits. During the first appointment, the dentist examines and prepares the tooth, takes impressions, and places a temporary crown. At the second visit, the temporary crown is removed, and the permanent crown is adjusted and cemented in place.
Do Dental Crowns Hurt?
Most patients experience minimal discomfort during the crown procedure. Your dentist will administer local anesthesia to numb the tooth and the surrounding area before any preparation work begins. During the procedure itself you should feel pressure but not pain. Some patients may experience temporary sensitivity or mild soreness after the anesthesia wears off, particularly if a significant amount of tooth structure was removed or if the tooth received root canal treatment.
After receiving your permanent crown, you might notice slight sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures for a few days to a week. This is normal and typically resolves on its own. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help manage any discomfort. Contact your dentist if pain persists or becomes severe as this could indicate an issue with the crown’s fit or bite alignment that needs adjustment.
Dual Benefits: How Dental Crowns Restore Damaged Teeth and Improve Your Smile
Dental crowns provide both functional and aesthetic benefits for patients with damaged teeth. When a tooth has been weakened by decay, large fillings, or fractures, a crown distributes bite pressure evenly across the tooth surface, preventing further damage. Protective coverings help patients maintain normal chewing function and speech patterns that might otherwise be compromised. For teeth that have undergone root canal therapy, crowns provide essential protection against future breakage of the more brittle tooth structure.
The natural appearance of modern crown materials means that most people will not notice you have a crown – they will simply see a healthy, complete smile.
The Long-Term Difference Dental Crowns Make
Dental crown procedures can be considered worthwhile for several reasons, but the biggest impact for patients lies in long-term protection – particularly in cases involving tooth damage. The outlook without proactive covering is not promising. Exposed damaged teeth are prone to weaken over time, which has the potential to result in complete fracture, infection, or loss. A cascade of oral health problems can then stem from that, including shifting of adjacent teeth, bite problems, and even bone loss in the jaw.
For many patients, intervention means the difference between keeping their natural tooth for years to come versus facing more extensive and costly dental work like implants or bridges. To that end, dental crowns restore damaged teeth and improve your smile for value in the immediate term while providing substantial long-term savings.
See How Dental Crowns Restore Damaged Teeth for Yourself
Curious how dental crowns can restore damaged teeth and transform your smile? At Concourse Dental Group, we offer this proven treatment along with a full range of smile-enhancing services designed to protect, strengthen, and enhance your teeth. Whether you are dealing with decay, a cracked tooth, or simply want to improve your overall dental health, our experienced team is here to help. Schedule your appointment today and discover how investing in your smile can benefit both your appearance and long-term oral health.
Samira Jaffer, DDS, a venerated Dentist and Instructor at the University of Toronto, has over four decades of pioneering work in dentistry, complemented by her role in educating the next generation. Her academic journey from a Bachelor of Science to a Doctor of Dental Surgery, both from the University of Toronto, set the stage for an illustrious career. Dr. Jaffer’s contributions have been recognized extensively, including multiple Ontario Dental Association Governance Leadership Awards (2010, 2012, 2018, 2020), the Toronto Central Dental Society Award for her presidency (2010-2011), Fellowships in both the American and International Colleges of Dentists (2013, 2014), and several other honors that highlight her dedication to dental health policy, membership engagement, and society contributions. Her active participation in various dental associations illustrates a commitment that transcends her practice, underscoring a legacy of excellence, leadership, and a patient-first approach that distinguishes her in the field.