When Does a Crown Make a Better Choice Than a Filling?

I’m always happy to pass on great info...and this is great info! I’ve included a few snippets below lifted from the full article.

Crowns vs. Fillings

You may find yourself in the situation where your tooth needs to be rebuilt. Your dentist says that either a dental crown or a filling might be placed. If so, the question then becomes how do you decide between the two?

One of the biggest differences between a dental filling and a crown is the level of protection that the latter provides.

• Crowns strengthen teeth. - One of the hallmarks of crown placement is the way it reinforces and strengthens a tooth. This is due to the way it cups over and encases it.
• The crown literally acts as a rigid splint that holds the tooth together. And that means that once one has been placed the tooth can withstand a greater level of chewing forces without risk of damage.
• Dental fillings don't offer as much protection. - In comparison, placing a filling doesn't substantially increase the overall strength of its tooth. And as we explain below, placing one may place the tooth at greater risk for breaking.

The ideal situation for placing a filling is one where it's used to repair a relatively minor amount of tooth damage, such as a small cavity.

• In this situation, even after the preparation (hole) for the filling has been drilled, the tooth remains relatively whole and intact. And because of this, it can be expected to still be able to withstand the chewing forces it's exposed to well.

Placing a filling (vs. a crown) is actually the superior choice.

Do you need more detail on this subject? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected] ; or call me on 0403 368 147.

Thanks,

Lucas