Restoring a Worn Filling
Restoring a worn filling with a crown
If a small filling wears out, and most of your natural
tooth is still intact, it’s usually safe to replace
it with another filling. But when a
large filling wears out, it’s often best to switch
to a crown. Unlike a filling, a crown covers and protects
a damaged tooth. Your fillings endure an incredible amount
of biting force every day, and as they age, they often
become worn and weakened. Their appearance and their ability
to function degrade. If they crack or become loose, they
lose their protective seal, which can lead to decay.
A key factor — how
much of your natural tooth is remaining?
When we evaluate a filling that needs replacement, we
consider both the size of the filling and the amount of
healthy tooth structure that remains. Sometimes, we can
replace your filling with another filling, but it will
typically be larger than the original. Large fillings
weaken your tooth, and leave it more vulnerable to damage;
a damaged tooth is much more difficult to repair. That’s
why we often recommend a crown when replacing a large
worn filling. A crown will strengthen and protect your
existing tooth, and help prevent additional damage.
Placing a crown
Typically, it takes two appointments to restore your tooth
with a crown, because it’s custom crafted in a dental
laboratory to precisely fit your tooth. After we’ve
made sure the area is completely numb, we remove any decay
and shape your tooth. We then take an impression of your
teeth, which gives us an accurate working model of your
mouth so we can re-create your natural bite. It will take
the dental lab several weeks to create your crown. During
this time, you’ll have a temporary crown to cover
and protect the prepared tooth. At your next visit, we’ll
remove the temporary crown and place your new custom crown,
carefully checking the fit and your bite. When everything
looks good, we’ll cement it in place and you’ll
have your new crown.
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| Damage from a weakened
filling |
A crown covers and protects |
Natural looking results! |
Crowning a Cracked Tooth
Why do teeth sometimes crack?
Your teeth endure a tremendous amount of biting pressure
every day, not only from eating, but also from habits
like jaw clenching and nighttime grinding. Sometimes,
this pressure causes a tooth to fracture or crack. Some
cracks aren’t a problem, and can exist for years
without any negative consequences. Other cracks, especially
those next to fillings, can eventually cause a portion
of your tooth to break away.
You may feel it…or you may not
A cracked tooth is sometimes painful when you chew and
may be sensitive to hot and cold. Other times, it may
feel perfectly fine. We
recommend that you always see us for an exam if you think
you have a cracked tooth, even if it doesn’t hurt.
Without treatment, bacteria can seep through the crack
in the enamel and cause an infection in the inner pulp
layer of your tooth. The pulp layer contains the tooth’s
nerves and blood supply. From here, the pus from the infection
can eventually gather down at the root tip and pass into
the jaw bone, causing a painful, destructive abscess.
A crown can prevent these problems
To prevent a cracked tooth from breaking, and to seal
out bacteria and infection, we often recommend placing
a crown over a cracked tooth. A crown covers the crack
and protects and strengthens your tooth. It takes at least
two appointments to create a crown for you, because it’s
custom made to precisely fit your tooth. First, we’ll
prepare the tooth, and take an impression. Using this
impression, a model of your mouth is created; your crown
is fabricated on this model. You’ll wear a temporary
crown to cover and protect the prepared tooth while your
custom crown is being fabricated.
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| Some cracks aren’t
a problem |
Other cracks may break |
Crowns strengthen and
protect |
Cracked Tooth Syndrome
What is cracked tooth syndrome?
Cracked tooth syndrome is a term that describes recurring
discomfort, sensitivity, or pain that is caused by an
incomplete fracture or crack in a tooth. The fracture
involved in cracked tooth syndrome is often difficult
to detect and may be completely invisible to the naked
eye. It may not even appear on an x-ray.
How do teeth crack?
As your teeth age, they may lose some of their original
strength. Clenching and grinding, for instance, can weaken
teeth. Large fillings
and root canal treatment can also cause your teeth to
lose strength and make them brittle. Every day, your teeth
endure a tremendous amount of pressure from biting and
chewing, so if you bite down on a hard object like a piece
of ice or a popcorn kernel, the force can sometimes cause
a tooth to crack, especially if it's already weakened.
Symptoms of cracked tooth syndrome
You may have cracked tooth syndrome if:
• you find yourself chewing on only one side of your
mouth because it's uncomfortable to chew on the other
side;
• your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold temperatures,
or to sweet or sour foods;
• you feel a sharp pain when you bite down;
• or the pain you feel is intermittent, rather than
constant.
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| Cracked tooth syndrome |
A root canal can weaken
the tooth |
