Ask your Hayes Barton dentist Before Your next dental crown

In the middle of a great dinner at one of your favorite restaurants in Raleigh, you bite down and break a back tooth. You weren’t chomping on an ice cube or crunching on a hard crouton—yet you still broke a tooth. A visit to the dentist confirms that an old filling has broken away from your molar and you’ll need a dental crown to rebuild the damaged tooth. Before agreeing to a new dental crown, ask your dentist this important question: How healthy are the neighboring teeth?

When a tooth or a filling breaks, especially a molar, there is a strong possibility that the neighboring teeth are vulnerable to breaking as well.

Most of the permanent molar teeth grow into the mouth between the ages of 6 and 12. These teeth are also typically the first to receive dental fillings and they also tend to work harder than any other teeth in the mouth. For these reasons, the molars also tend to deteriorate at a faster rate than the other teeth, resulting in microscopic fracture lines, recurrent decay, worn enamel, and broken fillings.

All of the molars in your mouth have been subjected to similar circumstances for most of your life, which is why it is important to take full inventory when one breaks. Like a set of tires, when one blows out, the others are likely to blow out shortly thereafter. To avoid having a new crown made for one tooth today and another made for the neighboring tooth next month, ask your dentist to identify all of the teeth that are showing signs of breakage.

The dentist may need to take a set of x-rays and perform a complete clinical exam to provide you with a comprehensive picture of your dental needs. In addition, digital pictures can be used to provide a more detailed view of the weak or damaged teeth. This information also serves an excellent visual aid so that you can actively participate in the planning of your dental treatment.

When necessary, having multiple dental crowns made at the same time can: