Dental crowns are a kind of prosthetic cap that dentists use to improve the structure of your mouth, and the term can be used to refer to any number of materials. For some people, a crown is a full tooth used during an implant procedure or for a bridge procedure. It’s a full replacement fashioned to fill out the rest of your mouth, so everything from the color to the texture matches.

For other people, a crown in Woodbury, MN is a partial structure that fits over a damaged tooth in order to strengthen it. When it can be used for so many purposes, it’s easy to ask whether it’s a cosmetic or critical procedure.

Necessary Vs. Aesthetic

Crowns can be both cosmetic or necessary. For instance, they’re often used after a patient has a root canal. During that procedure, the dentist will need to clear out the soft pulp of the tooth. If they didn’t have a way to rebuild the tooth with a prosthetic, the tooth would be too weak to handle standard wear and tear.

Or you might see crowns used if a tooth has broken into two. Rather than pull the tooth, which is usually considered the last resort, the dentist will try to preserve the stability of the mouth with a crown.

If you need one for cosmetic purposes, it may be because you want to fix the coloring or shape of a tooth. If this is the case, you should talk to a dentist about whether a crown or a veneer makes more sense. With a veneer, you’re getting a very thin covering to put over the tooth that can be used to fix the shape or the whiteness of your smile.

Talk to a Dentist in Woodbury

People often ask about the necessity of a crown not just because they want to know how it will be labeled for insurance, but because they want to know how it will affect their oral health. The truth is that all dentistry in Woodbury, MN can help you improve your oral hygiene, even if only to help you take more interest in your teeth and gums. At Woodlane Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we can help you pinpoint the services you need to protect yourself.