Need A Crown Or A Filling?

Tooth decay can really affect your daily life. You may feel pain when chewing, extra sensitivity to sweet, hot, and cold, or a persistent dull throbbing in one part of your mouth. All of these symptoms indicate you could have a cavity — or worse — that needs treatment. To learn about our solutions, continue reading.

Don’t Ignore Tooth Pain

Any abnormal pain in your mouth is cause for concern. In fact, any pain at all warrants further investigation. Healthy teeth don’t hurt or cause discomfort, and they’re not overly sensitive to certain types of foods or temperature changes. Teeth that respond to daily activities with pain or sensitivity are likely damaged in some way. The most common culprit is tooth decay. 

Fortunately, we have solutions to stop tooth decay from spreading and causing you more pain: fillings and crowns. A restorative treatment, like a filling or crown, will:

• halt decay in its tracks
• prevent more damage from occurring
• reinforce the tooth’s structure
• restore strength and function

At our office, we place fillings and crowns every day with flawless results. 

Filling or Crown: What’s the Difference?

A filling or a crown will restore a damaged tooth. The determining factor in whether you will need one or the other is the amount of damage that needs repairing. Fillings are excellent for small to medium-sized cavities in teeth with plenty of healthy tooth enamel left. Crowns are the better choice for severely damaged teeth that require significant reinforcement and reshaping. 

Fillings: Today’s composite fillings are the same color as tooth enamel, so they blend in perfectly with the tooth. Once placed, a composite filling is virtually undetectable without extremely close scrutiny. We can usually complete a filling in one appointment with a local numbing agent. The procedure is virtually painless and usually requires little to no recovery time.

Crowns: A crown is a porcelain cap that covers the visible portion of the tooth. Each crown we place is custom made to look like the healthy teeth around it, so no one will know it’s not a natural tooth. We make our crowns out of a durable, dental-grade porcelain that can stand up to daily use for many years. The procedure for placing a crown will take multiple appointments because we first have to prepare your tooth for treatment, make a mold of it, and then have your custom crown made. While you wait, you’ll wear a temporary crown to protect your tooth. Once your permanent crown is in place, you’ll be able to eat, drink, speak, and smile with confidence.

Don’t Delay

Call our office located in Chesterfield, MI if you’ve been putting off a filling or crown. It’s time to take care of that problem tooth. We always advise you to receive treatment as soon as possible to preserve as much of your healthy tooth as possible because, once decay eats away tooth enamel, it won’t grow back. Early intervention is key to keeping your teeth healthy and intact. 

If you’re ready to schedule your next appointment with us, call or book online. We’re looking forward to your visit!