Has anybody ever told you that you grind your teeth at night? If you have a long-suffering partner, this type of unconscious behaviour may have kept them awake and they may have been telling you for some time to do something about it. However, you may have had this problem for most of your adult life and have already suffered the consequences by causing extensive damage to your bottom teeth. This caused you to have a set of dental crowns fitted in the past, but you may now have to consider getting your replacements replaced, due to your bad night-time habits. What should you do in this unfortunate situation?
Old-Style Porcelain Crowns
While dental crowns are typically more hard-wearing than the original teeth, the technology and materials used may not have been as good as they are today if you got them long ago. For example, you may have had the oldest type of porcelain crown fitted and now find that they have sustained some damage due to your bruxism.
Fused-to-Metal Crowns
Fully ceramic crowns can actually crack when subject to excessive force, and if this happens they will typically need to be replaced rather than repaired. It would have been far better for you to get fused-to-metal crowns instead, especially when it came to the back teeth, as they are somewhat stronger and more capable.
More Resistant
The modern-day crowns that are fused to metal can actually cope a lot better with heavy forces, and the external layer can often be replaced if damage is found. This type of crown is not fully porcelain and is much sturdier as a consequence.
What about Zirconium?
It is also possible to have some zirconia crowns fitted, which do represent a state-of-the-art option in the dental world. These are much better at dealing with wear and tear, although you should definitely protect them from your grinding habit. These replacements are kinder on the opposing, natural teeth as well and will not tend to cause their own form of wear and tear in this situation.
Protecting Your Investment
It's always best to get a full diagnosis from your dentist before you consider all your options. If you do have to get replacement crowns, make sure you also get a custom-fitted night guard. Get used to wearing this each night without fail, or you may find that you end up in the same position once again.
Share27 November 2018
Hi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Kerry, and this blog is focused on dental fillings. It looks at the history of fillings, options for contemporary fillings, how to protect your fillings, when to replace them and much more. If you have ever had a cavity filled or if you are planning to get a tooth filled, you will find the information in this blog useful. I try to look at fillings from all angles, and I even plan to look at how to avoid fillings through proper dental hygiene and sealants. Thanks for reading, and I hope you find the info intellectually "filling."
