By Crowns in dentistry are caps that are placed over decaying or damaged teeth to restore their natural form, appearance, and function. Dental crowns come in many colors: tooth-colored, silver-colored, metal, or even gold. Porcelain-fused-to-metal is the most common restorative material for dental crowns.
These crowns have a metal structure supporting them, they are more durable than regular porcelain. They can be tooth-colored and are durable. More often than not, a dental crown is the best method to save a tooth that has been severely decayed or damaged.
Crowns can last between 5-15 years or more if they are treated well. For your crown to stay in place, you need to take good oral hygiene at home and have professional teeth cleanings every six months.
However, you may notice that your crown begins to get loose for some reason or the other; this could be down to personal reasons such as consumption of foods that are naturally sticky or a fault from the dentist — perhaps the crown was not well fitted in the first place. Here are some of the most common reasons why your dental crown becomes loose or shows tendencies to fall off.
Weakened Cement
Although dental crowns are made from strong and durable materials, the dental cement used to hold them in place is limited. Over time, dental cement will begin to weaken and eventually fall off, and you may also notice that your temporary dental crown fell off as a result also. There are not many complications in cases like this one, as the dentist is able to easily just replace the cement with a fresh one to keep the crown held in position.
Old Crown
Your crown might begin to fall after ten years. This is normal and will only require a quick visit to the dentist. During this appointment, your dentist will examine and inspect the crown to determine if any damage has occurred. It may be necessary to reapply cement to the crown. You will need a new crown if your crown is damaged. More often than not, an old tooth crown is meant to be replaced and not patched, as you might have to continually do this, and it may even incur more costs in the long run than just having your old tooth crown replaced.
Tooth Decay
Crowns do not suffer from tooth decay due to the fact that they often contain materials that are resistant to acid damage. It is, however, unfortunate that this does not exactly apply to the tooth below it. When a crown is placed on a tooth, decay can often begin near the gum line where the tooth and crown meet. Depending on the extent of decay, the dentist you’re visiting may choose to save or replace the crown.
Consuming too Many Sticky Foods
Sticky foods are best avoided for people with restored or artificial teeth, or in this case, people with crowns protecting their teeth. As you eat soft candy, your crown can become looser. If you eat too many sticky foods, your crown could even come off. We will use dental cement to repair a crown that has become loose from sticky foods.
