[Posted on April 1st, 2014 by Cashion Dental]
Crowns have often been confused with fillings, and therefore many people are unsure of whether or not they are in need of crowns or fillings in order to restore a damaged tooth. Understanding the difference between a crown and a filling is important and can save you a lot of money. Doing a bit of research before visiting a dentist in College Station TX can help you better understand what you may really be in need of.A crown is basically a hollow tooth shape piece of porcelain or other material which can be placed over a decayed tooth. A trained dentist is the only individual qualified to place crowns. Crowns are often mistaken for fillings because in many cases crowns and fillings are made out of the same material. The difference lies in the fact that with a filling only a very small par to the tooth is being filled with the material, whereas when a crown is place, the material is placed around the entire tooth. The crowns offers larger scale protection to the tooth. Crowns are generally used when there is more wide spread decay.A College Station dentist can help you decide which is right for you.The crown process is really quite simple. A qualified dentist in College Station TX can walk you through the entire process. The first step is to file down part of the existing tooth in order to make room for the additional material. Your dentist will then make an impression of your mouth. This will be used to custom make a crown that matches the exact size and shape of your existing tooth. Your dentist may give you a temporary crown while your final crown is still being made. On a subsequent visit your dentist will remove the temporary crown and finish the crowning process by putting the permanent crown on.In more specialized cases a patient may need extra attention given to treat any gum concerns or root canal treatments. In most cases having a crown placed is a very simple process.Because dental crowns can be expensive it is important to check with your insurance to find out precisely how much of this process your policy will pay for. In some cases a simple filling is all that is required to save a tooth. Fillings prove to be much less expensive. The process of getting a filling is also less time consuming.Crowns are also sometimes recommended as a preventive measure for patients with weak teeth. Placing a crown over a weak tooth before it begins to decay can help preserve the tooth and save patients time and discomfort. Before making a decision concerning whether or not you need crowns or fillings you may want to consult with more than one dentist in order to get a second opinion. Sometimes one dentist may see hope for a tooth which another dentist believes needs more than simple filling. Getting a second opinion from a dentist in College Station TX can save you a lot of money as crowns tend to be expensive.
