Perhaps a common procedure, dental crowns are opted by hundreds of thousands of patients. This procedure involves a cap that’s placed over a damaged tooth to preserve it and improve the aesthetics.
But one requirement of this procedure is ensuring you have a certain length of your tooth remaining to get a cap fitted on top of it. In this blog, we’re going to discuss how much tooth is needed for a crown, what the procedure might look like, and alternatives for when you don’t have enough tooth!
What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a type of dental restoration that is used to cover or “cap” a damaged or decayed tooth. It is designed to restore the tooth’s shape, size, strength, and appearance while improving its overall function.
Crowns are typically made from various materials such as porcelain, ceramic, metal alloys, or a combination of these materials. They are custom-made to fit over the prepared tooth snugly, providing a durable and natural-looking solution for teeth that are weakened, cracked, severely decayed, or otherwise compromised.
How are dental crowns placed?
Before we can jump into explaining how much tooth is needed for crown, it’s critical to understand what the procedure looks like. You already have a brief overview of what a dental crown is and what it can do for your oral health and aesthetics.
When the procedure begins, your dentist will remove any decayed or damaged tissue from the tooth. Once that is removed, an impression is taken to create a custom-made model of your dental crown. Of course, creating the custom model takes considerable time. So in the meantime, your dentist will place temporary crowns, serving as a protection for your teeth.
As soon as the permanent crowns are prepared, your dentist will place them over your prepared teeth! Sometimes, there will be a root canal procedure proposed before placing the dental crowns— which is normal! They only do it when the inside of your tooth is infected and needs to be removed.
Can you put a crown on a cracked tooth?
Yes, a crown can be used to restore a cracked tooth. If the crack is minor and doesn’t extend too deeply into the tooth’s structure, a crown can help stabilize the tooth and prevent further damage. The crown covers the cracked tooth, holding it together and protecting it from further fractures.
However, if the crack is too extensive or if it extends below the gum line, a crown may not be sufficient, and other treatments such as a root canal or extraction may be necessary.
How much tooth do you need for a crown?
To place a crown, a sufficient amount of healthy tooth structure must remain. Typically, at least 1–2 millimeters of tooth structure is needed above the gumline to ensure proper retention and support for the crown.
However, the exact amount of tooth needed can vary depending on factors such as:
- The location of the tooth,
- The extent of damage or decay,
- The type of crown being used,
What if there is not enough tooth?
Can a half broken tooth be crowned? Yes, in some cases, when your tooth isn’t big enough for a dental crown, dentists will come up with innovative solutions! Here are the 3 common solutions for a broken tooth that needs a crown:
Use composite resin
Composite resin is a tooth-colored polymer-based material used by dentists for various aesthetic repairs. One of those repair options is fixing broken teeth!
While the compound resin isn’t strong enough on its own to restore a damaged tooth, it becomes an excellent option when combined with a dental crown. Dentists will often use composite resin to build up your tooth’s structure and then place the dental crown on top.
Opt for dental implants
Dental implants are one of the life-saving options you can get for a broken tooth! Dental implants are only ever recommended alongside a dental crown when:
- A traditional dental crown fails, or
- The existing tooth structure is not enough for a crown.
In this case, the tooth is extracted, and a matching dental implant is screwed into the empty socket. The implant is screwed in with a titanium rod, making it both strong and sustainable. After the implant is successfully done, the dental crown is placed as a substitute for your natural tooth!
Place a post-and-core foundation
After a root canal procedure, your tooth might require extra internal support before you can place a dental crown. This is to ensure that the dental crown procedure is sustainable and successful.
So what does your dentist do to provide this extra support? They will recommend you a post-and-core foundation. This foundation cements a few small posts inside the tooth to provide internal support and lay a strong foundation for the dental crown!
FAQs
If you have a missing tooth, or your tooth is damaged to the point of needing extraction, getting a dental crown is still possible! In this case, the dentist will extract your tooth, place a dental implant in the empty socket and then screw a metal connector piece to it.
For severely damaged teeth that can’t be fixed with fillings or veneers, dental crowns become the best option to preserve and fix them. Even if the tooth is at risk of falling apart further, a dental crown can hold it in place and protect it from further deterioration. So yes, you can cap a broken tooth and protect it from infection and deterioration.
No, it’s not painful to get a dental crown. The dentist will always numb the tooth and your surrounding tissues with anesthesia which will prevent any sense of pain in the region. Once the anesthesia wears off, you might feel a little discomfort but it won’t classify as pain.
Final Thoughts
Dental crowns are an excellent option to improve the appearance of decayed or damaged teeth as well as preserve them for the future. But how much tooth is needed for a crown? In most cases, you need at least 1 quarter of your tooth structure for the dental crown to be placed.
At Premier Dental, you can get your dental crowns placed with the most professional dentists in the region. Book a same-day appointment with us and get your damaged teeth fixed and beautiful today!
