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Show Your Teeth Some Respect

Think about how many times per day you rely on your teeth. You use them to chew breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You press your tongue against them to make certain sounds when you speak. There's really no doubt about it — your teeth are important, and they deserve your respect. You can pay them that respect by visiting your dentist for regular cleaning and checkup appointments. You should also call at the first sign of dental pain, tooth discoloration, or other oral health changes. Read more about dentists and dentistry here on this blog, where we dive deep into related topics.

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Show Your Teeth Some Respect

Can A Dental Crown Help Your Sensitive Teeth?

by April Myers

Dental crowns can be extremely useful for sensitive teeth, but many people don't know that and think that they just have to put up with the discomfort. If you're tired of feeling pain or discomfort in your teeth, it might be time to talk to a dentist about getting a crown. Here's what you should know about the process and how a crown can help.

How Teeth Become Sensitive

When you don't have a cavity, traumatic injury, or gum disease, there's typically only one way that teeth become sensitive: thinning enamel. Dental enamel is the hard shell on the exterior of the tooth that protects the softer internal structures from being damaged. This is also where the nerves of the tooth lie. When the enamel weakens or is damaged, it's no longer there protecting the tooth, and the nerves are closer to the surface. This can result in even mildly warm or cool drinks feeling painful, and biting or chewing can hurt, too.

What a Crown Can Do

Dental crowns excel at one thing: keeping a tooth safe. They go over the top of a tooth and essentially seal it off from the outside world, taking on the brunt of chewing all on their own. This also prevents anything from coming into contact with your tooth directly, so it acts like an artificial (and much thicker) layer of enamel over your teeth.

What to Expect

Getting a crown is a very easy process. The first thing that will happen is that you'll explain the symptoms you're having to your dentist, and your dentist will take a look. If your tooth is damaged, if it has a deep cavity, or if the enamel is thinning, you'll likely qualify for a crown to help.

Teeth that are damaged or have cavities need to be cared for, first. A damaged tooth is typically filled, while a cavity is first drilled and then filled. Teeth that are missing their enamel can go straight from a teeth cleaning to getting a crown.

Depending on how severe your pain is, your dentist may put a temporary crown on first. This is a crown that isn't custom-made to your measurements, but don't worry, as that will come later. After your custom crown arrives, the old crown will be removed and the new one will be attached with dental cement. That's all there is to it. You'll likely notice that you experience far less pain from the moment you get your temporary crown, and the relief will continue or become even better once you have one that fits well.

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