What Is The Life Expectancy Of Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns, also called caps, are used to restore your teeth. If your teeth are chipped, cracked or have been eroded, a dental crown comes in handy to restore its shape, size, and function. A crown also corrects teeth alignment and bite especially after you have been through surgery or root canal. You can also use them to enhance the appearance of your teeth especially if you have yellow, small, or stained teeth. The Los Angeles dentist will help you choose the best crown for your teeth between ceramic, gold, porcelain-metal alloy, and base metal crowns. When you work with a qualified Los Angeles dentist, you will have a good crown that will last long. 

How long do crowns last?

After a Los Angelesdentist installs a dental crown, it can last for up to 15 years, especially if you maintain it well. Some, as a Los Angeles dentist will tell you, can last up to 30 years with great care. There are a number of factors that will affect the life expectancy of a crown including your oral hygiene habits and conditions that you expose your teeth to. You can talk to your Los Angelesdentist to learn the best way to take care of your teeth and the crown.

Extending the Life of your Dental Crown

A Los Angeles dentist will install crowns, but it is up to you to take care of them. Some tips from a Los Angeles dentist include:

Do not clench or grind your teeth: This will cause trauma to the crown, making it crack or chip. If you clench or grind often, a Los Angelesdentist will recommend a custom made teeth guard to keep crowns safe while you sleep. This guard not only protects crowns, but also natural teeth, limiting the number of times you see a Los Angeles dentist. 

Keep your Teeth and Mouth Clean: You should brush at least twice a day and floss once a day. By keeping your teeth and mouth clean, you protect the area surrounding the crown from decay. If you happen to have a decay, your Los Angeles dentist might have to tamper with crowns.

Avoid Biting Fingernails and Hard Objects: You have been told this from kindergarten and your Los Angelesdentist will tell you once more, avoid biting hard objects, very cold objects, or very hot objects. This will damage your crowns and your natural teeth and you will be back to the Los Angeles dentist. 
Visit your Los Angeles Dentist Often: You need to have dental checkups often to ensure the crowns are well attached, there are no decays, trauma, gapping, and other teeth conditions. Your dentist will advise you on other ways to take care of your teeth and crowns.

How to Know When Crowns Need Replacement

If you visit your Los Angeles dentist often, you will not have to worry as the dentist will identify when the crowns are damaged and need to be replaced. The amount of wear on crowns is different with each individual and different situations. Porcelain is long lasting, but it also get destroyed. When a crown is chipped or cracked, it will need to be replaced by a qualified Los Angelesdentist. Allowing a chipped crown to sit on your tooth will increase chances of dental decays. While a crown may not decay, cavities will form under the teeth and this will result to lots of problems. 

When you suffer imbalanced bite would mean a crown was not well fitted and it fails earlier than expected. Visit a Los Angeles dentist and have the crown re-fit or replaced. In fact, this is the most common cause of crown failures as your Los Angelesdentist will tell you.