Dental Crowns: A Better Solution?

Each person's mouth is different and faces a different set of challenges. With just a few appointments, it is possible to fix problems like discolorations, chipping, or even a cracked tooth. Before you just give in and ask to have the tooth removed, look into an alternative solution.
Keeping the Tooth
Dental crowns make sure that you keep your tooth. While it will look and feel different, there is no need to completely remove the tooth from your mouth. When an extraction is performed, there is a gap, or hole left and this can cause your smile to look off and make you feel uncomfortable. A crown gives you another option and ensures that you are just getting a coating over your own teeth as opposed to something completely new, like an implant.
Unlike Veneers
With veneers, a coating is just provided over the front of the tooth. While this may look good when you smile, it doesn't always solve the problem. Dental crowns work well for a more complete cosmetic look, but they are also used to solve issues that you may be dealing with when it comes to your teeth. For example, if you are experiencing cracking, veneers may only cover up the problem and not address why the cracking is taking place. They also don't prevent it from continuing to happen. A crown can stop the crack and make sure that it doesn't continue to happen.
A Natural Look
While dental crowns completely cover your own teeth, they blend in naturally to your overall smile. A dentist takes very intricate measurements to make sure that everything will fit correctly and look well with the others around it. Also, he or she will take the time to make sure that everything, down to the color, matches and blends. For this reason, the appointment make take more time that most because of the entire process that it takes to make this happen. In between the appointments, a temporary crown is used until the new one has been developed in the lab and sent back to your dentist.
Before the Appointment
Make sure that you have some idea of what takes place when it comes to dental crowns. You want to ask the dentist how long the appointment will last and what you can expect during that time. Also, many facilities ask that you pay for the services at that visit, so take the time to find out in advance how much you will owe and what payment options are available to you. 
There is no need to be nervous about your visit. The dentist will work to make sure that you are comfortable throughout the experience. If at any time you have concerns about anxiety or pain, find out what options you have and what you can do to make the appointment go smoothly.