Did your dentist place a dental crown to help extend the life of one of your teeth?
Depending on how long ago this was, you may begin to notice warning signs that your dental crown is nearing the end of its life and you need a crown repair or replacement. While a dental crown can repair an imperfect smile, that perfect smile won’t last forever. After about ten to 15 years, you can expect your crown to begin showing signs of wear and tear, indicating it may be time for a replacement.
Are you wondering if your dental crowns are nearing the end of their lifespan?
Has your dental crown started giving off an odor or causing you pain?
Follow along as Bridge Creek Dental shares the warning signs indicating you may be a candidate for dental crown repair or replacement.
Discomfort
If your crown is causing any discomfort, it should be a cause for concern. Your teeth play an essential role in your daily life, so when there is pain, it will be pretty noticeable and make it difficult to talk or eat.
Swelling, pain, or inflammation may indicate that you’re experiencing early signs of an infection. Schedule an appointment with your dentist at the first signs of a problem so they can reposition or adjust your dental crown to stop the pain and lower the risk of infection. If an infection is discovered, your dentist will remove the dental crown, treat the infected area, and replace the crown.
Odor
Dental crowns are used to resolve problems with your teeth — they shouldn’t be causing issues like bad breath. If you encounter a stinky smell coming from your crown, it should be a cause for concern and not be ignored.
Without proper oral hygiene, it’s easy for plaque to build up around the base of the dental crown. When this plaque isn’t properly disposed of, it turns into bacteria that can damage the crown and cause it to decay.
As a result, you’ll find yourself with a dental crown that creates an odor in your mouth. If this continues to go untreated, you may experience damage to the surrounding gum tissue or even gum disease.
Age
Although dental crowns are made from superior materials that can withstand a lot of wear and tear (you use them to eat after all!), they will eventually begin to weaken over time. After about a decade, you may start to notice visible wear and tear on the crown.
Proper oral hygiene for the life of the dental crown can help it last an upward of 15 years as opposed to ten before scheduling a crown replacement. Along with thorough brushing and flossing regularly, you should be mindful of the types of foods you are eating. Hard or sticky foods can also damage and cause wear on the crowns.
Gum Line Recession
While gum line recession doesn’t directly affect the dental crown itself, it is a side effect of dental crowns that aren’t properly taken care of. Too much bacteria and plaque buildup along the base of the dental crowns put you at risk of gum damage.
If you begin noticing signs of receding gum lines, schedule an appointment with your dentist to stop the receding before it gets worse and results in an infection or gum disease.
Dental Crowns from Bridge Creek Dental
If you are interested in receiving a dental crown from our dentists or other dental services, contact us today for an appointment and start the process to move you further towards your dream smile.