“What do you mean I have a cavity, all of my teeth have crowns on them, how can that be possible?” Often we are presented with this situation; a patient comes in for their dental care and during a consultation and exam, a cavity is detected on a tooth that has a crown on it. Many patients have the misconception that once they get a crown on their tooth/teeth that tooth is unable to get a cavity again in the future. In reality, teeth with crowns are just as prone if not more prone to cavities compared to other teeth.
One reason for this is that plaque usually forms at the neck of the tooth near the gumline. This is the area of the crown known as the margin, the junction or joint where the tooth and crown meet. The margin goes around the circumference of the tooth 360 degrees. If plaque is allowed to collect at the margin and not removed, eventually a new cavity will form at this point and the crown will need to be replaced. This is why it is important to brush and floss properly every day to remove the plaque from your teeth and crowns.
It is also important to visit your dentist every 6 months or sooner in some cases for a cleaning and exam to receive optimum dental care. During the exam, we inspect the margins of all your restorations: fillings, veneers, crowns, etc for any signs of a new cavity forming. At times during the exam it may seem that the dentist is being rough or aggressive around your fillings and crowns, rest assured that this is part of a thorough and complete exam to make sure there are no new cavities that have formed at the margin. X-rays are often used to supplement the clinical exam to allow the dentist to visualize and inspect the margin between the teeth that is not visible with the naked eye.
If you have any questions about your dental care, dental implants, crowns, veneers or dentures please call Kopp Dental for your dental care in Elmhurst. We are happy to see you for a consultation. We care about your dental health.
Kopp Dental in Elmhurst where the patient is our primary concern….. 630-941-8398