Dental crowns are a popular solution for restoring damaged or decayed teeth and are designed to provide long-term protection. But the question remains, how long do they actually last?
While there is no definitive answer, as every patient’s situation is unique, understanding what factors can influence the longevity of your dental crown can help you make an informed decision when considering treatment options.
What are dental crowns?
Dental crowns are a restorative treatment used to protect, restore and strengthen damaged or decayed teeth.
Who Needs Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are a perfect solution for people who need to protect, restore and strengthen teeth damaged by tooth decay or have a broken or cracked tooth due to dental trauma.
Dental crowns can also be used to improve the appearance of misshapen teeth or for capping implants to create an attractive smile. Read more about it.
What Are Dental Crowns Made Of?
Depending on the location and size of the crown required, dental crown materials can vary.
All metal
As one of the most reliable and long-lasting dental restorations, metal crowns are an ideal solution for out-of-sight molars. Crafted from biocompatible metals or their alloys, these durable crowns can withstand strong chewing forces without chipping or breaking – plus very little tooth is removed in order to fit them!
Porcelain or ceramic
For a smile that looks and feels as natural as possible, all-porcelain or all-ceramic crowns are an excellent choice. Highly resistant to allergies, they also provide the best colour match for front teeth – making your restored tooth blend seamlessly with its neighbours!
Resin
Dental crowns made of acrylic resin are a fast and affordable option for crowning damaged teeth. They can be exactly matched to your natural tooth’s colour, and resin is a more affordable option in comparison to other dental crown materials.
These types of restorations not only provide improved aesthetic appeal but also function as resilient and enduring solutions for restoring damaged or missing teeth.
Pressed Ceramic
Pressed ceramic dental crowns are an aesthetically pleasing, durable dental solution. A hard inner core and porcelain cap results in a strong structure with optimal colour-matching capabilities – providing superior durability to all-porcelain alternatives.
Advantages Of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are an ideal solution for restoring and reinforcing damaged, decayed or weak teeth for a variety of reasons.
They Support The Chewing Function
The extra strength provided by a dental crown helps your damaged tooth withstand everyday biting forces, allowing for normal chewing and eating activities. Without a dental crown, those forces could cause further damage to the weakened tooth and cause pain or discomfort when chewing.
They Improve Aesthetics
Custom-created dental crowns are a great way to improve the aesthetics of your teeth.
Depending on the material chosen for your dental crown, they look vibrant and natural. They can completely transform the appearance of your smile by concealing discolouration to create a white, even smile.
They are customised for perfect function
Dental crowns are a great way to support chewing function as they help protect the underlying tooth from further damage due to chewing action.
In addition, since dental crowns perfectly fit each individual’s unique mouth shape and size, they can also help even out the pressure points in your mouth for better overall chewing ability.
Moreover, since dental crowns are often made from ceramic or porcelain material, they provide extra strength when it comes to biting into harder foods like apples and nuts.
They restore misshapen, damaged teeth
When placed properly by a skilled dentist, dental crowns can also improve the appearance of deformed teeth. By covering the tooth uniformly, a crown can eliminate any irregularities in size or shape, resulting in a much-improved appearance. Additionally, they can be used to close gaps between teeth, strengthen worn-down teeth or hold together broken pieces of a tooth.
Crowns can also be used in cases where there is significant staining or discolouration on teeth that cannot be removed with whitening alone.
They prevent further damage
Dental crowns are a great way to prevent damage to teeth as they provide an extra layer of protection.
They act as a cap that covers the entire visible portion of a weak tooth, protecting against additional damage from everyday wear and tear. It also helps keep bacteria from entering the inner layers of the tooth and causing further decay while also making it easier to keep your mouth clean.
Crowns protect weakened from further damage caused when you eat hard foods or grind your teeth during sleep.
They are cost-effective
As well as being highly effective in restoring damaged teeth and improving dental aesthetics, dental crowns are also an affordable treatment option compared to other forms of restorative dentistry procedures.
The cost of having a crown fitted will depend on the type of material used and the complexity of the procedure required for its installation.
Factors that influence the life of a dental crown
When considering a dental crown treatment for restoring damaged or decayed teeth, one of the most common questions is how long do dental crowns last?
Poor oral hygiene can lead to discoloured and stained teeth and encourage plaque and tartar buildup, which can weaken the bond between the crown and the underlying tooth, making it more likely to become loose or even fall off.
Additionally, when bacteria accumulate around the crown, it increases the risk of decay on adjacent teeth and gums.
If you have a dental crown, it is important you practice good oral hygiene and make regular visits to our skilled dentist to ensure that your dental crowns are free of any damage or decay.
Good oral hygiene habits can significantly increase the lifespan of a dental crown.
Health of the affected tooth
The health of the tooth that a dental crown is being placed on can have a major effect on how long the crown will last.
If the tooth is damaged or decayed, then simply fixing a dental crown on it may not be enough to fix the tooth and protect it from further damage, such as gum disease.
Additionally, if the dental crown is placed on an unhealthy tooth, then it can wear away much faster than if it were placed on a healthy one.
By ensuring that any underlying issues with a given tooth are addressed prior to placing a dental crown, you can significantly increase its chances of lasting for many years and provide optimum protection against further decay or damage.
Bruxism
Bruxism can have a serious effect on the life of dental crowns.
When teeth grinding occurs, the force that is put against the surfaces of the teeth can cause immense pressure and damage to them. This can lead to cracking and chipping as it puts extra strain on dental crowns, which are meant to act as a protective layer for the entire tooth they cover. It can also compromise the fit and seal of a crown.
This reduces their lifespan and makes them more vulnerable to further damage, eventually leading to failure or needing to be replaced earlier than usual.
In order to avoid this scenario from occurring, if you suffer from bruxism, you should have regular visits with our highly experienced dentist, so any potential issues may be identified early on before they develop into serious problems that could require replacing their dental crowns prematurely.
Dental crown material
The type of material used to create dental crowns can have a significant influence on the life and longevity of the restoration.
Metal alloys are typically more durable and less likely to fracture or break than other materials, making them an ideal choice for patients with bruxism.
Ceramics and porcelain tend to be more prone to wear and potential breakage over time when compared to metal materials.
Resin dental crowns offer an even greater degree of strength and realism but typically require more frequent replacement due to their lesser durability.
How long do dental crowns last?
Depending on the material used to create the crown and with proper care, you can enjoy a problem-free dental crown for many years!
Tooth crowns made of resin can last between 3 and 8 years, while porcelain fused metal crowns offer longer-lasting solutions with a lifespan of between 5 to 15 years.
All-porcelain and all-ceramic crowns can easily last 15 years and even 25 years if cared for, while metal crowns can last for decades!
Enjoy reliable dental protection for many years!
Choose Sydney Dental Group for the Best in Porcelain Dental Crowns!
At Sydney Dental Group, we offer some of the best options for porcelain dental crowns in the Baulkham Hills area.
Our experienced team of dentists have extensive experience in providing exceptional patient care and cosmetic procedures with quality materials and the latest technology. We focus on delivering clinical excellence, as well as aesthetic smile design cases for all our patients.
With us, you can be sure that you’re getting some of the highest quality work by skilled professionals who are passionate about providing excellent results.
Our commitment to providing top-notch patient care is evident in every treatment we do and each dental crown is tailored to meet your individual needs and expectations.
Visit Sydney Dental Group today and let us help you get the perfect smile you’ve always wanted! Contact us now on (02) 9158 6135!
