A Brief Note about Dental Crown

Dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap which is placed over a tooth in order to restore its looks and functionality. After being cemented in place, the dental crown becomes a visible portion that seems like a grown tooth out above the gum line.

Why is dental crown required?

A dental crown becomes an ultimate requirement in the following situations.

• Cracking or chipping of tooth
• Severely worn down tooth
• Tooth that has a large filling but not much of the original tooth structure is left
• When there is a requirement to hold a dental bridge
• Covering a dental implant
• Need of cosmetic modification

Types of dental crowns available

Details about the types of crowns that mentioned as under:

• The first type to talk about is the stainless steel. These dental crowns are used permanently as well temporarily to cover a tooth’s structure. The best thing about this crown is that it is highly durable and an excellent candidate to restore the stretch of a tooth. It doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing though.
• Metal alloys are used for the making of crowns; and, presumably, these crowns can be rated in the top category of most durable dental crowns. These crowns consist of high content of gold or platinum, or base metal alloys which include cobalt-chromium and nickel-chromium alloys.
• Porcelain fused to metal dental crowns offer an ideal mix of cosmetic perfection and durability. These crowns are colored right according to the color of surrounding teeth. And the metal content in the crown ensures maximum durability. The downside of this crown is that the metal underlying the porcelain might show up as a dark line near gum line.
• The All-resin dental crown is an affordable option as compared to other types of crowns but it is not as durable as others. It may wear down with time and it is more prone to fractures.
• If you have metal allergy, you can opt for All-ceramic or All-porcelain crowns which are pretty closely similar to natural teeth in terms of aesthetics and functionality. These crowns ideal for the restoration of front and back teeth.

How long do the dental crowns last?

The average age of a dental crown is between 5 and 15 years. So it comes down to the amount of wear and tear the crown has to endure while it is being used. Of course, proper oral hygiene and ensuring prevention of teeth clenching or grinding are going to let you keep your crown in functional condition for many years.

Special care for dental crown

Many people wonder if there is a special care required for the dental crown. You have to keep in mind that just because a tooth is crowned doesn’t mean it is fully protected against tooth decay and gum disease. The bacteria can still seep into the gaps to reach the remaining tooth structure and cause decay, which can act like a precursor to several other dental health problems.

Things You Need To Know About Canker Sores

Sometimes, small and shallow open wounds appear in the mouth. Those wounds are most widely known as canker sores, or aphthous ulcers. The main types of canker sores include the following.

• Minor canker sores: These are the sores that usually appear 3 to 4 times in a year. They are 1 centimeter in length and they heal within a week without scarring.
• Major canker sores: These canker sores are not very common. These are the bigger sores and they can last up to 2 weeks. You can get them treated with scarring.
• Herpetiform canker sores: These are the rarest canker sores and they appear as clusters of tiny ulcers. Just like minor canker sores, these sores heal in a week.

Reasons and risk factors

The exact risk factors that lead to the development of canker sores are unknown. However, there are a few things that might cause canker sores. Those factors include:

• Stress
• Injury to the tissues
• Foods higher in acidity
• Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen
• Allergy to certain foods

Complex canker sores might result due to following risk factors:

• Weaken immune system
• Vitamin and mineral deficiency
• Gastrointestinal disease

Canker sores vs. cold sores

Many people mistake canker sores with cold sores. They are not the same actually. Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters which are caused by viral infections; and so, they can be highly contagious. Cold sores usually occur outside of the mouth, unlike the canker sores which are developed inside the mouth.

Symptoms of canker sores

• A painful sore on your tongue, on the soft palate, or inner cheek is more probably a canker sore.
• This sore can result in tingling or burning sensation in the area where it is at.
• These sores are round in shape, and white or gray in color with red edge or border.
• Severe canker sores can result in fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.

Diagnosis

While these sores are not dangerous, you may need to call your dentist because you do not want to mistake any other infection with canker sores. It is going to be worth mentioning here that canker sores share similarities with the symptoms of some serious infections. You need to consult your dentist after noticing following signs:

• Unusually large sores
• Sores that seem spreading
• Sores lasting 3 weeks or more
• Extreme pain
• Trouble drinking water
• High and persistent fever

Treatment

You do not have to do anything special to get the canker sores treated. They get healed on their own. However, there are certain methods that can be helpful if you want to get relief from the pain those sores are causing. Those treatment methods include mouthwashes, oral medications such as the ulcer drug sucralfate (Carafate) and the gout drug colchicine (Mitigare), and certain nutritional supplements.