What are the alternatives to dental crown?

[Shahin Safarian]

People having large cavities are generally recommended to get dental crowns by dentists to restore their tooth. Crown covers the whole tooth and prevents further damage to the tooth structure. Some people consider this treatment to improve the aesthetic appeal of their mouth, while others choose it to restore their tooth.

The crowns are made from different kinds of materials. It can be made from stainless steel, all metal (gold or another alloy), all ceramic, all resin, porcelain-fused-to-metal, etc. The cost of the overall treatment varies according to the type of material used. For instance, if someone wants to get silver or gold crowns, then the treatment will cost higher because these metals are quite expensive.

A dental crown is placed after the reduction of tooth to adhere the crown properly to the tooth structure. So, opting for an alternative treatment can help avoid the occurrence of such damage. Some of the dental crown alternatives are;

1. Doing nothing:

It means leaving the tooth as it is. The tooth may have had a huge filling held in by a small amount of tooth for a number of years. If you are deciding to remove the filling then remember that you could actually create more problems than possibly will you solve, particularly when there is nothing technically wrong with it. The tooth may then breaks-off to gum level and requires a root canal post, a core and crown.

2.  Tooth inlay/onlay:

Metal or mixed-metal crowns when comes in contact with saliva generate battery-like effects or may get erode over time. Here onlay/inlay is the best choice to go with, as this would save the maximum amount of natural tooth.

 3. Tooth Filling:

If the damage is less, then filling can prove to be a good option, however, if the tooth structure has a large cavity, then it get difficult to replace a crown with a filling. The dentist can simply analyze whether a filling will work to restore the tooth or not. It should also be kept in mind that tooth filling is only a temporary replacement of crown and not the permanent possibility.

4. Temporary Restoration:

The temporary treatment to the tooth can be provided in order to delay the immediate crown placement. This option can be chosen by people having financial constraints, as it is less expensive than permanent restorations. Such patients should follow precautionary measures in order to avoid further damages.

5. Porcelain Veneers:

Extreme stains or small abrasions on teeth can be concealed with the help of porcelain veneers. They are directly bonded onto the tooth to provide natural color.

6. Dental Bonding:

Dental bonding can treat small fractures on tooth surface.

7. Tooth Whitening:

Cosmetic tooth whitening is the simplest alternative to dental crown to tackle extreme tooth discoloration. Though not a permanent cure for tooth discoloration, but still an attractive option go with, as it is simple and quite inexpensive.

The above mentioned alternatives cannot completely withdraw the need of a dental crown as none of them are comparable to crown placement. It can only help in delaying the treatment for some time. If you are looking for the permanent solution then go with dental Crowns. Visit our site for more information about Dental Crowns in San Diego

[Steffany Mohan, DDS]

Nice article. The way you explained this article is very innovative and effective. If you are getting a crown to cover up a badly stained tooth, or one that is misshapen and causing you embarrassment, you may want to consider veneers as another option. If you are getting a crown to protect a decayed tooth (one with a cavity) from further tooth decay, ask your dentist about filling the cavity instead of getting a crown. Usually, a dentist will recommend a crown if the cavity is too big for a filling, but you may want to check to be sure.