4 Reasons You Might Need A Replacement Dental Crown

Dental crowns are a common treatment for certain dental issues. Dental crowns are commonly placed when you've had a root canal, if you need a dental bridge to replace a lost tooth, or if you've had a particularly large filling that weakened your tooth. While crowns are made from durable material, under some circumstances you may need it have it replaced. Here are four reasons you might need your dental crown replaced:

1. Your dental crown is too old.

Dental crowns are made to last several years, but due to current technological limitations, they're not permanent. Over time, the adhesive that holds your crown to your tooth may become loose due to chewing and general wear. If this happens, your crown may suddenly become loose. This isn't a sign that your dentist did something wrong. If your crown suddenly comes loose, visit your dentist as soon as possible for a new crown.

2. Your root canal became reinfected.

When you have root canal therapy, your endodontist removes the damaged, infected roots from your affected tooth. Your dentist then puts a crown over the tooth to protect it. In most cases, this is sufficient to take care of the problem, but it's possible for your root canal to become reinfected. Reinfection can happen for a number of reasons; your root canal might not have been properly cleaned originally, or a new cavity might have introduced more bacteria. If you need to have a root canal again, you'll need another crown placed afterward,.

3. Your old crown is metal or gold.

Dental crowns made from stainless steel or gold used to be much more common. In recent years, porcelain has become the preferred material for crowns due to its durability and natural look. If you have a metal crown, you may not like the look of it. Metal crowns are immediately apparent when you open your mouth, and they may make you feel self-conscious. If you'd like to replace your metal crown with a new porcelain crown, your dentist can help you by performing that procedure.

4. You ate something hard or sticky.

Crowns are sturdy and durable, but they aren't impervious. If you habitually chew ice, hard candy, or other solid foods, you might eventually crack your crown. Very sticky foods such as taffy can also pull your crown loose. In order to keep your dental crowns as long as possible, try to take care when eating potentially dangerous foods.