Many people need to have dental crowns in their mouths following a period of decay. Do not be alarmed if your dentist tells you that one or more dental crowns will be required because this is an almost everyday procedure in many dental practices — almost as common as fillings, in some cases. What is involved with fitting dental crowns in Australia these days?

What Is a Dental Crown?

Firstly, a crown is a simple cap that is positioned over the visible part of a tooth. In fact, a crown is sometimes referred to as a dental cap because it sits on top of a tooth. When you have one recommended, it will be designed as a permanent prosthesis, usually to deal with a damaged tooth that has either suffered trauma or become severely decayed. This means that once it is in place, a crown will look like a natural tooth. What's more, it will feel like a normal tooth when you run your tongue over it and perform the same function as the section of the tooth it is replacing.

Why Not Fill a Tooth Instead?

In some cases, crowns are chosen for purely aesthetic purposes. In other words, they are sometimes preferable to fillings simply because they look better. That said, in the majority of cases, crowns are fitted because there is not enough remaining tooth structure to accept a filling. If you have a filling already which has come out as decay has worsened, then it may be that fitting a dental crown in your mouth is the only viable option. In some cases, fracture teeth cannot be filled at all which means that you will either need a crown or for the tooth to be pulled.

What Are the Advantages of Dental Crowns?

One of the big plus points of a dental crown is that it will not just provide a working prosthetic which you can use to bite and chew, but it will offer ongoing protection, too. Put simply, crowns help to prevent further decay, which means that more of your natural tooth should last long into old age. In fact, dental crowns have been known to support partially damaged teeth while neighbouring ones without them have continued to decay. However, the main reason that so many Australian people prefer them to other sorts of dentistry is that they look natural, which means they can smile with greater confidence than they would otherwise enjoy.

Contact a provider of dental crowns in your area for more information.