Dental crowns are made with high-quality dental materials and designed to be extremely durable. While dental crowns act as artificial tooth enamel and can last for many years, they can be fractured and require repairs from a dentist.
Poor dental habits can result in a fractured dental crown, especially if you frequently use your teeth as tools or chew on ice or your fingernails. Similarly, if you are involved in sports but don’t protect your teeth with a sports mouth guard during games, you could received a fractured dental crown if you are struck in the face by a ball or elbow.
When a dental crown becomes fractured in an accident, we encourage you to visit the dentist as soon as possible so that they can assess the severity of the fracture and provide the appropriate treatment in order to preserve the health of your smile.
If for any reason you can’t get to the dentist right away, you should still reserve any cleaning of the dental crown for our professional dental team, who has the appropriate training to safely clean the damaged area. You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever or topical numbing agent to reduce discomfort until the time that you are able to visit our office for treatment.
As long as the abutment that is beneath the dental crown is in good shape, you may be able to receive a new dental crown and not require further treatment. However, damage to the abutment could result in the need for root canal treatment because the structural integrity of the tooth has been affected and needs to be treated before you receive a new dental crown.
To learn more about how to treat a damaged dental crown in Plano, Texas, contact North Texas Dental Associates at 972.535.6647 today to see our dentist, Dr. James Hillstrom.