The Pros and Cons of Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are a common restorative treatment used to address various problems with the teeth. They offer a lot of benefits, however, with all treatments comes the possibility of being affected by the negative aspects. Continue reading to learn more.

An overview of the pros and cons of dental crowns

Outlined below are some of the pros and cons of dental crowns. Having an understanding of this information ahead of getting the procedure done may be helpful in determining if it is the most suitable route.

The pros

There are actually many positive aspects to dental crowns; here is a list of the advantages of dental crowns:

Options: With dental crowns, there are a lot of different options. For example, one can opt for a crown made of gold, metal alloy, porcelain, or composite resin. Gold crowns tend to be the most durable, however, they are not discreet. Metal alloy implants are the most budget-friendly, but they are not as strong as gold and they are also visible in the mouth. Porcelain dental crowns are the most esthetically-pleasing but can be the most costly. Lastly, composite resin crowns are typically the most affordable, but they are not very strong and tend to be used in temporary situations, such as until a permanent fixture is ready or for children who are preparing to lose a tooth.

Long-lasting: Another pro of dental crowns is that they tend to last longer than other restorative options, such as fillings, sealants, or inlays and onlays.

Coverage: Unlike the other restorative options listed above, dental crowns do cap the entire tooth, which means it covers more surface area. The more coverage there is, the likelihood of the crown lasting longer is much higher.

Versatility: Dental crowns can address a number of issues, ranging from restoring teeth that are decayed to covering severe stains. Because crowns have the ability to cover the entire tooth, they can address many more problems than other restorations.

The cons

While dental crowns do have a lot of positives, with all things come a few downfalls. Below are a few factors that may be viewed as the cons to dental crowns:

Timing: There are typically two appointments involved in the dental crown process. This restoration does have to be custom-created in a lab, which can take up to two weeks to produce. Some dental offices do offer same-day crowns, which are designed and manufactured directly in the dentist's office on a specialized machine.

Comfort: When getting a dental crown placed, some have reported that there is some slight discomfort. This can be uncomfortable, but there are numbing agents that can be used to reduce the intensity of the discomfort.