Dental crowns are quite a versatile way to fix problems with your oral health, but many people don't fully understand all the different ways that they are used. Here are some situations that could require a dental crown. 

1. Dental Bridge

A common reason for needing multiple dental crowns is when you have a dental bridge installed. This is when you have a missing tooth, but the replacement tooth is suspended between two of your healthy teeth. The best way to hold everything in place is by placing a crown on both of the surrounding teeth so that a bridge forms between them. This gives the fake tooth in between plenty of strength for chewing, which wouldn't be possible without the crowns being used to hold them in place.

2. Dental Implant

A dental implant required placing a titanium post into your jawbone to act as a natural root. However, that titanium post still requires a fake tooth to be placed on top of it. This is where the crown comes into play since it is able to resemble what a natural tooth looks like, even if it is completely artificial. Once the implant heals, a crown is placed on top of the post to simulate the look of a natural tooth.

3. Root Canal

A root canal procedure involves hollowing out the center of the tooth to remove the infected pulp. This procedure allows the tooth to be saved with its root in the jawbone, but it will be weak compared to how it once was. A crown is placed on top of the tooth to give it the strength and stability that it needs in order to be used like a real tooth. 

4. Cosmetic Procedures

Sometimes the tooth itself has some serious cosmetic problems with it that require more than a basic tooth whitening procedure. If the tooth has a weird shape or color, the best solution may be to use a dental crown to completely reshape the tooth and color the existing color. This can provide long-lasting results due to completely encapsulating the tooth with a porcelain crown. If you used veneers to cover the tooth, it may not produce the same results that a crown does. 

Not sure if using a dental crown is right for your tooth-related issues? Meet with a dentist like Gregory S Rutherford, DDS for a consultation for this procedure. They'll let you know if it's a good fit or not.