Dental crowns are sometimes necessary for repairing a tooth that has excessive decay. If the tooth has a lot of decay, there might not be enough healthy enamel to hold a filling in place, so a crown is fitted over the tooth instead. However, there are other uses for crowns besides tooth decay. Here are some ways a crown might improve your smile or the health of your teeth.

When A Tooth Has A Bad Crack

A cracked tooth can be a big problem, because bacteria can get into the crack and it's hard to get out. This leads to tooth decay and pain. A crack also makes your tooth less stable, and you're at risk of losing the tooth if you bite on something hard or crunchy. A cracked tooth can often be repaired by placing a crown over it to cover the crack and stabilize the tooth.

When You Have A Discolored Tooth

If you have a tooth that's discolored due to an old injury, you might not be able to whiten it with a whitening procedure. One way to whiten the tooth so it blends in with your other teeth is to have a crown put over it. The crown covers your entire tooth, so it looks natural, especially if you have a porcelain crown put on.

When A Tooth Has An Irregular Shape

A crown can change the shape and length of a tooth. If you have one tooth that's shorter than the others, smaller, or twisted, covering it with a crown might be the best way to improve its appearance. A crown can even close a gap between your teeth and straighten a tooth so it's easier to floss and brush.

When You Need To Replace A Tooth

A crown acts like an artificial tooth when you use it to fill a gap from a missing tooth. If you had a tooth pulled in the past, you may regret it now and wish you had the tooth back to improve your smile. Getting a crown is the next best thing. You can have a crown put on an implant so it's held secure in the bone, or you can have a bridge put in that places the crown between two other teeth. When you get a bridge, you need three crowns. One is to replace the missing tooth and the other two go on the nearby teeth to hold the crown in place.

A dental crown isn't always the answer to improving your smile, but crowns can be used in many ways to repair teeth, enhance them, and improve your oral health. Your dentist can explain the advantages of having a crown put on against the advantages of other dental treatments so together you can decide on the right way to fix your dental problem or improve your smile. For more information, contact a company like Demianko Dental Care today.