Do I need a Crown or a Filling?
Louisville, KY
Nothing can disrupt your daily life like a toothache. If you are experiencing pain from one of your teeth, this is how your body is sending the signal that something is wrong. There are several reasons why a tooth starts to hurt – a cavity is the most common – but there are other causes of damage. When it comes to restoring a damaged tooth, the two main options are a filling or a crown. Which one is right? Your restorative dentist in Kentuckiana learns more about this topic, today on the blog.
What’s the difference between a filling and a crown?
A filling is the most common treatment used in restorative dentistry. It repairs a small to intermediate area of the tooth. Fillings typically can be completed in a single appointment, replacing or refilling any portion of the tooth structure that needs to be removed. Exceptional Dentistry works with tooth-colored fillings, which are made of a composite material and can be matched to the shade of your other natural teeth.
A crown is a more intensive restoration. It replaces the entire exterior of a tooth. This can save a tooth even if it has sustained major damage due to an injury or a large area of tooth decay. Whereas a filling is placed in a single appointment, a crown entails two separate office visits, usually scheduled about two weeks apart from one another. Your Louisville dentist removes the damaged area of the tooth, takes digital impressions and installs a temporary restoration at the first visit. You return two weeks later to receive your permanent crown.
Is a crown or a filling right for me?
If detected early enough by your dentist in Jeffersonville, a filling should be able to repair the area of decay. Our tooth-colored fillings are bonded directly to the treated tooth. This makes them more stable and less vulnerable to breakage or popping off of the tooth. Patients usually opt for fillings, because the procedure is less invasive, happens more quickly and has a lower cost. Our composite fillings are even more popular, since the restored tooth looks just like your other natural, healthy teeth, blending seamlessly with your smile.
Unfortunately, when cavities reach a certain size, a filling is not a viable treatment option because there is not enough healthy structure of the tooth left remaining to support the restoration. This typically occurs with a cavity that has gone undetected, and thus grown in size, eating a larger hole in the tooth. A crown replaces the entire exterior, covering all of the tooth that resides above the gum line. At Exceptional Dentistry, we offer all-ceramic crowns made of dental porcelain. This material is renowned for its beauty; it’s also functional, durable and has a similar translucency to real tooth enamel, while also resisting the accumulation of surface stains.
You also can expect to receive a crown at the conclusion of a dental implant procedure.
Restorative dentistry in Kentuckiana
For the true answer on whether you need a filling or a crown, you should schedule a consultation with one of the dentists at Exceptional Dentistry. This will determine your specific needs. Our team is available to help you at any of our locations, in Louisville and Shepherdsville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Make an appointment today by calling (502) 423-7868 or complete our online contact form.
