If you've had a root canal or another restorative procedure, your tooth may need to be covered up. One of the best ways to cover up teeth that have undergone restorative procedures is using crowns, and your dentists in East Ellijay, GA, Dr. David Settel, Dr. Cindy Hall, Dr. Ron Reid, and Dr. Wesley Burke, offer crowns and can tell you about their benefits.

More About Dental Crowns

Crowns look like caps and are made of porcelain. Your East Ellijay dentist takes an impression of your teeth and sends them to a lab where custom crowns are made just for you. In the meantime though, you're given a temporary crown.

During restorative procedures, such as root canals, a significant amount of natural tooth is removed. This leaves the tooth exposed to decay and susceptible to breakage, which is why a dental crown is placed over the tooth. The dental crown reinforces the tooth and allows it to withstand various degrees of pressure, meaning you can enjoy eating without the worry of ruining your tooth.

Here are some other procedures that use dental crowns:

• Attaching bridges
• Covering stained or discolored teeth
• Covering dental implants
• Covering an existing filling that may be dislocated

Caring for Dental Crowns

• It goes without saying that you need to brush twice a day and floss before bed. It's important to remove plaque to reduce the chances of cavities forming and impacting the dental restoration.
• Bruxism, commonly known as teeth grinding, can reduce how long your crowns last as well. So make sure you find a solution for it with your dentist, like getting a mouth guard or splints.
• Your diet can contribute to your crowns lasting. Don't bite into ice and avoid sugary foods like soda and candy. Sugars contain the bacteria that produce plaque. So try eating healthy foods like apples and carrots that scrape the plaque off your teeth and incorporate more water into your diet.

For more information on dental crowns and what they can do for you, contact Dr. Settel, Dr. Hall, Dr. Reid, and Dr. Burke in East Ellijay, GA, as soon as possible.