Dental crowns are an effective and long-lasting option to restore a tooth with severe damage, either from decay, a root canal, or cracking. Many times, crowns are the best option for a long-lasting restoration. Exactly how long they will last, however, is impossible to predict, but there are several factors that can help them last longer.
Sometimes a crown can last a lifetime. On average, a crown will last 10 to 30 years. Your dental health care provider can help you estimate how long your crown may last.
The following factors will influence how long your crown will last.
Condition of the Tooth
Depending on how severely damaged your tooth is, a crown may not be a good option at all. Sometimes, there isn’t enough tooth, or the tooth is just not strong enough to hold the crown in place. Your dental health care provider should inform you if this is the case, and remember, it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Crown Fit
A common cause of crown failure is an ill-fitting crown. To make a crown, your dental health care provider will first make an impression of your damaged tooth and the surrounding teeth. This impression is sent to a lab that crafts the crown to fit your mouth. Once it is complete, your dental health care provider will cement it in place, and possibly make some adjustments to it or your surrounding teeth to make sure it fits your bite properly.
However, if your dental health care provider has not fitted the crown properly, or if the lab has not done a good job in making the crown, it is likely that it will come loose right away and continue to do so. If you have had a crown in the past that you were not satisfied with, you may want to find a different, experienced dental health care provider who uses a different lab. The lab’s quality of work is just as important as your dental health care provider’s experience and abilities in making sure your crown is fitted properly.
Crown Material
There are several types of materials used for crowns. The type of material chosen depends on what kind of restoration you need, where the crown will be placed, and personal preference. Crowns are made from porcelain, gold and gold alloys, metal alloys, or a combination of porcelain and metal. These materials differ in how durable they are and how they look—for instance, gold or metal-alloy crowns are the most durable, but will not match the rest of your teeth, so they may need to be reserved for restorations in the back of the mouth where they will not be visible. Porcelain materials will look like your natural teeth but are not as durable.
How You Care for Your Crown
To get the most life out of your crown, it is important to practice good oral hygiene, which means brushing and flossing every day and keeping up with regular dental checkups. Good oral hygiene is important because bacteria can still get inside the crown and cause cavities in the tooth beneath it, causing the crown—with the tooth—to fall out.
It is also important that you avoid things like regularly biting on hard substances like ice, candy, or even non-food items like pencils or fingernails. This can cause the crown to break early. Grinding of the teeth can also affect the lifespan of a crown, so if this is a problem for you, you should speak to your dental health care provider about getting a mouthguard to wear at night to protect your crown and the rest of your teeth.
In summary, a crown is often the best way to restore a tooth and extend its lifespan for quite some time. If your tooth is strong enough to hold a crown, it is fitted properly, and you take good care of it, it should be a long-lasting restoration, but while one can estimate its lifespan, it is impossible to say exactly how long you can expect your crown to last. Your best bet is to discuss all options with your dental health care provider before deciding on whether to get a crown and if you do, what kind to get.