Getting a dental crown is making an investment in your oral health. Like any investment, you expect good returns and want it to last. Because of the expense, longevity is an expectation you should have for your dental crowns. Cypress, TX dentists also have expectations that the work they do for you will be lasting. The question then is, what should you look for in a crown where longevity is concerned?
Types of Crowns
There are four different types of dental crowns in today’s market. Some may be used in certain areas of the mouth, or they may be used for specific purposes.
- Porcelain – The porcelain based ceramic crown is often used in the restoration of anterior teeth. It has the color and translucency required to make the crowned tooth look natural.
- Base metal alloys – These crowns are often used on kids to protect damaged baby teeth until the permanent teeth can come in. They are non-corrosive and hold up well. These crowns are very strong, and they last a long time.
- Gold Alloys – These crowns are also very strong and generally are used on back teeth. The alloy is a mix of metals among which are gold and copper. The gold alloy crown provides a strong bond to the remaining tooth without wearing it down. It also does not fracture.
- Porcelain fused to metal – Generally the crown of choice, these crowns are stronger than those made only of porcelain due to the inner metal structure. They also are very durable.
Expected Life Span of Crowns
While all the crowns mentioned are very durable, some may hold up longer than others. For example, the porcelain crown may fracture under certain circumstances. Even porcelain fused to metal can chip or break if very hard substances are chewed.
Your Cypress dentist expects that, under normal circumstances, your dental work will last a reasonable amount of time before needing replacement or repair. Dental crowns have an expected lifespan of at least five years. Dental insurance companies will not pay for replacement crowns before five years of wear have passed. A crown that does not last at least that long is most likely defective in some way.
Actual Longevity of Dental Crowns
While crowns are expected to last for a minimum of five years, research on longevity has placed the actual lifespan anywhere from 10 to 25 years. One study showed that 97% of the crowns placed survived at least 10 years and 85% lasted for 25 years. This 2013 study looked at the outcome of 2,340 crowns placed by one specific dentist specializing in prosthodontics. Most of these crowns were porcelain fused to gold.
If you have a tooth in need of a dental crown, rest assured that your investment will more than likely be long term. Contact Texas Premier Dental in Cypress for more information on dental crowns and make your appointment for an exam and consultation.