Can a Dental Crown Last Forever and Is It Worth It?

When a person’s tooth gets broken or chips off, one of the things that can be done to salvage the situation and give the person a natural smile is to install a dental crown.

Dental crowns help to restore a tooth to its initial size, shape, and function. As helpful as a crown can be, it does not last forever. You will need to replace it after a particular time. As much as you cannot wear a crown forever, you can take the necessary precautions to prolong the lifespan of the crown. Taking proper care of the crown will ensure that the crown lasts long. Crowns are not only used to cover broken teeth, you can also use a crown to hold a large filling that cannot hold. If you have a weak tooth and you want to prevent the tooth from breaking, you can use a crown to hold the tooth in place. If you have a root canal, a dentist can suggest a dental crown to prevent any fragile tooth from following the canal. Dental bridges can be supported by dental crowns. The list is long and dental crowns have a lot of applications.

Longevity of a Crown

Dental crowns are made from different kinds of materials and the material used to make a crown will determine how long the crown is going to last. After a dental crown procedure, a crown can last up to a decade on average. However, if properly taken care of, a crown can last for decades. But this cannot be said for all types of crowns because they are not all made from the same material. There are a lot of factors that have to be considered before settling down for a crown to use. Some of these factors include the strength and aesthetics of the material, the location of the tooth that needs to be crowned, the size of the tooth that needs to be crowned, and so on. After considering these factors, you and your dentist can settle down to choose from any of the types of crowns. When deciding which crown to use, you want to steer clear of dental crown problems and choose a crown that will last longer and give you less worry. The longevity of a crown is generally determined by the material which the crown is made of. Here are four of the materials most commonly used to make dental crowns;

• Zirconia: Crowns made from this material rarely fracture. They are very strong and durable. Zirconia crowns are a type of ceramic crowns and are made from zirconium dioxide which is known to be very strong and related to titanium. They rarely crack even when subjected to a large biting force and they can last up to 15 years or more with proper hygiene. The problem with Zirconia crowns is that they do not easily fit on a tooth.
• Porcelain fused to metal: Crowns made from this material have a natural look and are mostly used at the front. They have been in use for a very long time and they do not easily chip off. However, as they get older, the point which they are joined to the tooth begins to show. Porcelain fused to metal dental crowns can last around 5-15 years or more if properly taken care of.
• Lithium Disilicate: These crowns are made from lithium and silicon to form a strong glass crown. You can get this crown made and installed in one visit to the dentist’s office and it is the most used material for a dental crown because they fit well and bonds well to the teeth. These types of crowns also have an appealing look and can last around 5-25 years or longer if cared for properly.
• Gold: Gold has been in use for over a century and it is very strong. Gold crowns do not chip and fit very to the tooth that needs to be crowned. Gold crowns last the longest time when compared to others, however, it is usually easy to spot. To reduce the cost of gold crowns, dentists combine gold with other materials to form alloys of gold.

There are other types of crowns like the dental implants crowns and they all have their usage. Dental crowns do not last forever but they last for a very long time and you can discuss with your dentist how to take care of your crown so that it can last longer.