How Long Does a Dental Crown Last

Getting a dental crown can help you to keep a great-looking smile for years. Crowns offer protection for teeth or replace missing teeth when supported by implants. Once you get your crown, how long does a dental crown last? The specific timeline depends on the materials used for the crown and how you care for your teeth, but you should enjoy your dental crown for years after its placement.

What Is a Dental Crown

The crown of the tooth is the portion above the gum line. You may need a dental crown Matthews NC when you lose a tooth, have a root canal, or damage the tooth’s crown. These dental fixtures can fit over individual teeth, be part of dental implants, or secure a dental bridge in place.

Crowns as Part of Single Tooth Restoration

Dental crowns act as replacements for the crowns of damaged or missing teeth. A crown also adds strength to a tooth that has had dental work, such as a root canal. These dental fixtures also restore the appearance of the tooth. They have the same shape as your natural teeth, and when made with a ceramic exterior, they look just like your other teeth.

Since everyone has unique teeth, each crown you wear will need custom creation. Your dentist will take an impression or digital scan of your tooth to ensure you get a natural-feeling crown that fits your smile. Most dentists will send this data to a lab for professional production of your crown using the materials your dentist specifies.

Crowns Used with Dental Implants

Another application of crowns is part of a dental implant process. For this use, your dentist replaces a missing tooth with a three-part system that includes an implant screw, abutment, and crown. The screw becomes a permanent fixture in your jawbone and replaces the tooth root. An abutment creates a place for the crown to attach to the screw, allowing your dentist to replace the crown in the future without requiring you to get a new implant.

Crowns Used with Bridges

If you need to replace a missing tooth and cannot get an implant or don’t want one, you may choose a dental bridge. Bridges have crowns on two ends and a replacement tooth or teeth between them. The crowns serve as anchors for either end of the bridge. With this fixed bridge, you have a more secure attachment of the device in your mouth.

Whatever the crown application, your dentist will ensure that you have a custom-created crown for your mouth. It should fit comfortably in your mouth and match the color, size, and shape of the tooth it restores.

Dental Crown Longevity

Most dental crowns will last from five to 15 years, but some can last even longer. How much time you get from the crown depends on several factors. Therefore, you will need to talk to your dentist about the longevity you can expect from the type of crown you have placed in your mouth.

Factors That Impact How Long a Dental Crown Lasts

Crowns have a variety of manufacturing methods, materials, and placement sites in the mouth. Generally, crowns in locations that have more stress and use weaker materials won’t last as long as those placed in areas that undergo less force and have stronger materials.

Location of the Crown

The location of the crown is essential in longevity because some of your teeth have more force placed on them daily than others. For example, you use your back teeth, called molars, to chew. These teeth can exert a bite force up to three times greater than the front teeth, as found in a study of dental biting force. Additionally, if you grind your teeth, you will likely have wear on your molars, and a crown on one of these teeth will also sustain wear.

Hence, if you have a porcelain crown on a molar, it has a greater chance of chipping than a gold crown on one of these teeth. Your dentist will use the location of the crown to find materials that balance strength and appearance for the site in your mouth.

Crowns, such as those over implants to replace the smaller front teeth, may last longer because you don’t put as much biting pressure on the front teeth, reducing the chances of damaging the crown prematurely as long as you care for them properly.

Materials Used in the Crown

The materials make a major difference in the longevity of the crown. Typically, metal, ceramic, and resin are the most commonly used materials in crowns. The crowns made from all metal have the longest lifespans, but they also don’t look natural.

All ceramic crowns look the best but don’t have the longevity of metal crowns because they can chip and wear down.

A resin crown is not a permanent solution. You may get a resin crown as a temporary cover for your tooth while the lab creates your permanent crown. Also, do a little research about veneers vs crowns.

Your Dental Habits

Caring for your crown and surrounding teeth also matters in how long the crown lasts. For instance, if you grind your teeth at night and don’t use a night guard, you will continue the habit and damage your crown.

Additionally, you can still get gum disease and cavities in your teeth around your crowns. Gum disease can impact the health of the tooth under the crown, causing the loss of the tooth if you develop an advanced case.

To further protect your crown, avoid biting down on hard foods with the covered tooth. Popcorn kernels, nuts, bones, and ice can loosen or dislodge a crown.

Signs You May Need a Replacement Crown

Even with a high-quality dental crown, you will eventually need to have your dentist replace it. Signs that your dental crown has reached the end of its life include:

• Pain in the crown-covered tooth
• A broken, loose, or lost crown
• Damage that negatively impacts the appearance of the crown

When you see the above signs, schedule an appointment with your dentist for a consultation about getting a new crown. If anything else about the crown bothers you, don’t hesitate to talk to your dentist.

Next Steps: Start Your Dental Crown Life Right with a Consultation at Trailhead Advanced Dentistry

If you know that you need a crown or have a crown that needs replacement, schedule a visit with us at Trailhead Advanced Dentistry. Our Dr. Reiter uses durable, lab-created crowns for his patients for the best look and longest potential life. Find out for yourself the difference that advanced dental techniques can make in giving you a beautiful smile.