A crown is a tooth-shaped cover placed over a tooth that is badly damaged or decayed. A crown, which many people call a cap, is made to look like your tooth.

Crowns may be placed for several reasons, but generally the tooth has been extensively damaged by decay or breakage and filling material can't replace the missing tooth structure and make the tooth strong enough. A crown may hold together parts of a cracked tooth and can be used to hold a bridge in place. Crowns also are used for cosmetic purposes to cover misshapen or badly discolored teeth.

Crowns can be prefabricated or made in a laboratory. Prefabricated crowns are made of plastic or stainless steel and can be used as a temporary restoration until a permanent crown is manufactured. In some cases, prefabricated crowns can be used as a permanent restoration.

Crowns can be all metal, porcelain fused to metal (PFM), or all ceramic. Metals include gold alloy, other alloys (palladium) or a base-metal alloy (nickel or chromium). The all-metal or PFM crowns are stronger and are better choices for back teeth. PFM and all-ceramic crowns look just like normal teeth.

Usually, crowns last at least 7 years, but in many cases they last much longer, up to 40 years or so.

Fifty years ago, examinations of people entering the military showed that the average American's teeth were in pretty bad shape and few people took good care of their teeth. There were no guidelines for how often you should see a dentist, and many dental professionals focused on fixing problems rather than preventing them. Dental and health organizations trying to set standards for preventive dentistry settled on a "best guess" recommendation of twice-yearly visits to the dentist for checkups and cleaning.

The recommendation proved to be a useful rule of thumb and has remained common. Even if you take excellent care of your teeth and gums at home, you need to see your dentist regularly so he or she can check for problems that you may not see or feel. Tooth decay generally doesn't become visible or cause pain until it is in more advanced stages.

Regular visits allow your dentist to find early signs of decay and disease and treat problems at a manageable stage. Ask your dentist the best schedule for your routine dental visits.

On average, seeing a dentist twice a year works well for most people. A few people can get away with fewer visits; others may need more frequent visits. People with very little risk of cavities or gum disease can do fine seeing their dentist just once a year. People with high risk of periodontal disease(because of current gum disease, a weak immune response to bacterial infection or a predisposition to plaque buildup or cavities) might need to see the dentist every three or four months, or even more frequently, for the best care.

The schedule for any person may change during a lifetime. In times of stress or illness, it may be necessary to see the dentist more frequently than usual to help fight off a temporary infection or treat changes in your mouth. If you take good care of your teeth and gums at home and your dentist doesn't find any cavities or gum disease for a few years, he or she may choose to lengthen the time between visits.

So just take a few hours out of one of your days and visit Anderson IN Cosmetic Dentistry, Comfort Dental for your dental appointments!

1. Root Canals Hurt

According to the American Association of Endodontists, the perception of root canals being painful began decades ago when root canal treatments were painful. Today, with modern technology and better anesthetics, root canal treatments are no more painful than having a filling. Knowing what to expect while having a root canal can help ease a lot of anxiety.

2. Root Canals Require a lot of Visits to the Dentist

With today’s cutting edge technology, most root canals can be performed in one or two office visits.

3. Crowns Cause Teeth to Need Root Canals

Many people believe that having a crown on a tooth means that the tooth will eventually need a root canal. Crowns do not cause the need for root canal therapy. If a crowned tooth does require a root canal, it could be that the tooth has abscessed or that tooth decay has gotten underneath the crown and reached the pulp of the tooth.

4. Root Canals Cause Illness

There is no evidence to support that root canals cause illness. However, there is evidence to support the fact that people who have had root canals are no more at risk for developing illness than people who have never had root canals.

5. Root Canals Involve Removing the Roots of the Tooth

When the dentist or endodontist performs a root canal treatment, he or she remove the pulp from inside of the tooth. The roots of the tooth are not removed.

6. Pregnant Women Can't Have Root Canals

Pregnant women can and do have root canals. Having a root canal does require a small x-ray, but the radiation exposure is very minimal and the x-ray is aimed at the mouth, not the abdomen area. If you are pregnant and your dentist needs to give you an x-ray, he will use a lead apron to cover your belly. The anesthetics that dentists use are also safe for pregnant women.

Be sure to let your dentist know beforehand if you are pregnant

7. Even With A Root Canal, The Tooth Will Come Out Eventually

If you have your tooth properly restored, maintain good oral hygiene and visit your dentist for regular checkups, your natural tooth could last for the rest of your life.

8. If the Tooth Doesn't Hurt, There is no Need for a Root Canal

While a throbbing toothache usually results in the need for root canal treatment, many times a tooth can require root canal treatment when there is no pain present. Dentists and endodontists are specially trained to test a tooth to see if the pulp has been infected or damaged. If this is the case, a root canal would be necessary to save the tooth.

9. Pulling the Tooth is Better than Getting a Root Canal

Keeping your natural teeth for as long as possible is very important for proper eating and chewing functions. There are several options available for missing teeth, such as dentures, partial dentures, dental implants and fixed dental bridges, however, these alternatives can be much more expensive than saving your tooth with a root canal treatment.

10. After Having a Root Canal, My Tooth is Completely Restored

After having a root canal, it is extremely important to make a follow-up appointment with your dentist to have the tooth permanently restored. After the pulp of the tooth has been removed, the tooth can become very dry and brittle. Having a permanent restoration will help protect your tooth from fracturing.

Complete dentures are called "conventional" or "immediate" according to when they are made and when they are inserted into the mouth.

Immediate dentures are inserted immediately after the removal of the remaining teeth. To make this possible, the dentist takes measurements and makes the models of the patient's jaws during a preliminary visit.

An advantage of immediate dentures is that the wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period. However, bones and gums can shrink over time, especially during the period of healing in the first six months after the removal of teeth. When gums shrink, immediate dentures may require rebasing or relining to fit properly. A conventional denture can then be made once the tissues have healed. Healing may take at least 6-8 weeks.