Your oral health plays an essential role in ensuring excellent overall health. The enamel in teeth is one of those few substances known for its undeterred endearment capabilities. Unfortunately, however, your teeth barely remain in their best condition as people age. Modern dentistry has come a long way, and now one can access advanced dental treatment from a trusted Goose Creek dentist. Dental crowns come in the form of dental crowns.
However, they will also come across dental caps creating a confusing situation. Continue reading to learn the difference between dental crowns and dental caps.
Dental Crowns And Dental Caps
Many people often suffer from the consequences of severely damaged teeth or teeth. There can be many reasons behind this damage, such as decay, external trauma, etc. However, modern dentistry allows dentists to repair damaged teeth. They generally use a proxy to cover all the damaged parts of the tooth.
The dentist has to extract the damaged tooth completely. In such cases, the void left by the damaged tooth is replaced with a dental implant. Many refer to it as a dental cap or crown. Contrary to popular belief, there is no difference between both. Therefore, people can benefit from both dental crowns and caps.
There are many reasons why your dentist might recommend you protect and cover your damaged tooth with a dental cap. Some of these reasons include:
- Covering the root canal of the tooth.
- You already have a dental bridge anchored
- Support a large filling on your teeth
- Cover tooth in case of severe discoloration
- Completing or covering a dental implant
- Strengthening your cracked or weak teeth
- Restoring a worn or broken tooth
- Reshaping misshapen teeth
What Are Dental Caps And Crowns Made Of?
In general, many different materials are used to create dental crowns. Some of the most prevalent materials include:
- Dental Ceramics: Dental ceramics are made with materials such as porcelain or zirconia. These materials are then colored to match the surrounding teeth.
- Metal Alloy: This is probably the most common material used to build dental caps and crowns. Different metals, such as palladium, platinum, gold, and other non-precious metals, create dental crowns.
- Porcelain With Metal: combining metal and porcelain is an excellent way to create dental crowns. Such crowns generally have metal on the inside and porcelain on the outside.
In the initial phases of the treatment, people are fitted with a temporary dental crown. These temporary crowns are made of acrylic or composite materials.
Apart from that, one must remember that crowns made of gold are not made entirely of gold. The reason behind this is that gold, in its purest form, is too soft and not suited to serve the purpose of a dental crown.
Therefore, gold is mixed with other metals to formulate a strong alloy used as a full dental crown. In most cases, the concentration of gold in your dental cap can range from anywhere between 20 to 77%.
The precious nature of gold often makes it far more expensive than dental crowns made of other materials. So if budget is your concern, you can choose dental crowns made of other non-precious metals such as chromium, cobalt, and nickel.
Preparing Yourself For a Dental Crown Or Cap
In most cases, you need two different visits to fit yourself with an appropriate dental cap. The first visit will be about the dentist examining the condition of your tooth and getting started on the preparation. Then, once the crown is ready, you need to head for your second visit, and the dentist will equip you with a dental crown in place of the damaged tooth.
Final Thoughts
Stop thinking further and search for ‘affordable dental crowns near me’ to avail yourself of the best dental treatment! Dental crowns and caps are among the most convenient and easy ways to enhance the condition of your oral health. As a result, this also makes it much easier for you to chew your food and speak to people.