A crown is a prosthetic that covers a damaged tooth. The crown looks, feels, and acts as a regular tooth does. When most people look right at your teeth and you have a crown, they won't even be able to tell that you have a crown and wouldn't be able to point the crown out if asked. Once a crown is on your damaged tooth, you will be able to continue on as you would if your tooth had never been damaged, since crowns are strong and act just how teeth do with regards to helping you with things like chewing and word pronunciation. There may be other options for you when it comes to repairing your tooth, but you should seriously consider a crown because they have a lot of benefits. Here are some of the reasons why many find crowns to be the better choice over some of the other options.

Crowns vs fillings

If you have a cavity or another type of minor damage to a tooth, then you may be able to have it filled. However, when you have a filling put on your tooth, the area surrounding the damaged part will all be removed and then the filling will be put in place. With a crown, you won't have to lose all of that tooth material, as the crown goes over your tooth in most cases. With a filling, there is a significant chance of the filling coming out in the future due to the stress put on the filling material when you eat.

Crowns vs bonding

Bonding used to be more popular in the past and seems to be used less these days due to the availability of so many other options. However, some dentists still like to use it when it's feasible. Bonding can be applied to the surfaces of teeth to improve their appearance. It can change the color, change the shape, and fix inconsistencies in someone's smile. However, crowns can be used to do these same things. Plus, crowns won't wear down over time the way bonding can, and crowns tend to have a more realistic look to them since bonding is applied by the dentist and then hand-crafted to look like a tooth the best it can.

Crowns vs Dentures

Dentures can be great for someone who is missing several or more teeth. However, dentures require teeth to be pulled if they are to be used to replace them. With crowns, you can have permanent teeth that don't require your teeth to be pulled. Dentures don't look as real and dentures aren't permanently affixed like crowns are.

For more information, contact a dentist such as Gregory S Rutherford, DDS today.