The age of your dental crown is really immaterial. Certain crowns can last for 30 years or more if they are well made and well maintained. However, older crowns that once were a nice match to the rest of your teeth may become mismatched with time, due to changes in the appearance of the other teeth, or gum recession that has exposed the margin of the crown. If crowns like these are holding you back from smiling your happiest smile, then they too should be replaced.
Repairing Broken Dental Crowns in Rockville
If you have a broken crown, you should see your dentist as soon as you can. Depending on just how broken the crown is, you may just need the fractured area re-contoured and polished. More severe fractures can result in exposed tooth structure or food impaction. Both of these conditions may be painful (though not always!), and can increase the likelihood of developing a cavity in either the tooth with the fractured crown or the tooth next to it.
The worst thing to do would be to ignore the problem because it’s not hurting you. Most of the time, cavities do not cause any pain whatsoever, so if you have a condition, such as a broken crown, that makes you more likely to develop a cavity, it needs to be addressed before a problem occurs. Waiting until the tooth is painful will lead to more costly and time consuming treatment - such as root canal treatment, or in more severe cases, extraction of the tooth and replacement with an implant.
Replacement of a broken crown is usually straightforward and predictable as long as the situation is addressed in a timely manner. So if you are concerned about one of your crowns, call us today to schedule an appointment.