Should You Go with Dental Crowns or Dental Implants? Insights from a Norwood Park Dentist
Dental restoration work will help you address any serious issues you may have with your teeth. Badly damaged or missing teeth are an overall detriment to your oral health, as they can cause plaque and produce bacteria — not to mention, they can be visually unappealing. On top of that, missing teeth can actually change the shape of your mouth, causing the teeth in the surrounding area to become crooked or overcrowded. To address these issues, you have two options: crowns or implants. In this article, we’re going to cover both of them to help you understand the implications of each procedure.
Crowns: Pros and Cons
The dental crown is a tooth restoration method which uses a material that fully covers a tooth. It can be used in conjunction with a dental implant in cases where the structure of the tooth is too badly damaged. The material of a crown can consist of gold, metal, porcelain, and others. The procedure for the dental crown is fairly straightforward. The crown is placed on the remaining structure of the tooth, which is filed down to size. This creates a strong support for the crown, which will last for many years. Crowns are very similar to natural teeth. However, the color does not change or fade over time, so if your surrounding teeth become discolored, or if you want to undergo a whitening procedure later on, the crown may stand out.
They do have some other disadvantages. If a tooth is too badly damaged, a crown may not be applicable. Since the crown requires an existing tooth for support, there needs to be enough of the natural tooth remaining so that the crown can bond to it.
Implants: Pros and Cons
Dental implants are meant to replace a whole tooth, and they are partly composed of titanium that is fused to the jawbone. This is called the fixture. You also have the abutment and the crown, with the abutment connecting the fixture to the crown. Implants are the ideal option when there is not enough tooth material for the crown, or when the tooth has been removed. Implants are also very durable, more so than crowns, and they can improve your bite strength.
The downsides of dental implants are the time and the cost of the procedure. Implants are much more expensive than crowns, and they usually require one or two surgeries that can sometimes take a while to recover from. The jawbone also has to be strong, wide, and high enough for the fixture. Without these factors, you cannot go ahead with the procedure. Finally, implants run the risk for infections, such as peri-implantitis, which causes bone loss around the fixture. You also have peri-implant mucositis that affects the gums and mucosa near the implant. These infections are serious enough that they could require the implant to be removed. However, in most cases, they are treatable with antibiotics, antimicrobial therapy, mechanical debridement, or laser therapy with surface decontamination.
Making the Choice
In many cases, the choice is made for you. When there is not enough tooth material, a crown simply cannot be installed. However, there are some patients who choose implants over crowns because of their durability and strength. Your dentist will be able to recommend the best path of treatment for your particular situation.
Contact a Norwood Park Dentist Today
Whether you’re looking for dental implants or crowns in Norwood Park, Dr. Ziols and the team at Smile Innovations are here to help. Contact us today to schedule an initial appointment and further discuss your options.