Dental fillings have been used for decades to repair badly damaged and decayed teeth, and are designed for durability and longevity. However, all fillings will eventually wear out, leaving the remaining tooth vulnerable to further damage, as well as potentially dangerous infections.

If you have a dental filling that has reached the end of its useful life span, the tooth itself may still be salvageable. Dental crowns can be used to save teeth with worn-out fillings, preserving your smile and helping you avoid the pain and inconvenience of tooth extraction. 

What Are Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns are protective caps that mimic the appearance of real teeth. They are made from durable ceramics or resin-based composite materials and are installed over the tops of badly damaged teeth.

To fit the crown, your dentist will remove a significant amount of enamel from the damaged tooth, shaping the tooth into a peg-shaped stump. While this may seem drastic, this shaping process leaves the roots of the tooth intact, as well as any remaining nerves. This procedure saves as much of the original tooth as possible and prevents complications associated with extraction (such as gum recession)

Dental technicians carefully craft and color crowns so they match the shape and color of your natural teeth. In most cases, a crowned tooth will look more like a natural, undamaged tooth than your filled tooth ever did. This is especially true if you have an old-style amalgam filling, instead of a tooth-colored composite filling.

Why Are Crowns Used To Save Filled Teeth?

You might assume that the worn-out filling inside your tooth can simply be replaced with a new filling. Unfortunately, in most cases, this simply isn't possible.

Although fillings can effectively protect the nerves and roots of a damaged tooth, they do not strengthen the remaining enamel and dentin surrounding the filling. Because the remaining parts of a filled tooth are weaker than those of a healthy tooth, they frequently become cracked and damaged by the time the filling wears out. In these cases, the remaining tooth can no longer be able to support a new filling.

If you have a metal amalgam filling, the filling itself can gradually damage the remaining tooth enamel. These fillings expand and contract when exposed to hot and cold temperatures. This expansion and contraction can gradually weaken the remaining parts of the tooth, causing microfractures and loosening the filling.

When Should Filled Teeth Be Fitted With Crowns?

Fillings rarely last longer than a decade, but each filling wears at a different rate, depending on the materials it is made from and its location in the mouth. For this reason, it is important to have regular dental check-ups, so your dentist can monitor the condition and wear of your filling. Do not wait until the filled tooth becomes painful—worn fillings may not cause any pain at first, but can still leave the tooth vulnerable to infection.

Contact a local dentist to learn more about dental crowns.

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