Crowns (Caps)

There are instances when the decay, or cavity, found in a tooth is too large to be reliably treated with a filling. For example, if the cavity has gotten large to the point where after it is removed, there is not much healthy tooth structure left to support a filling, Dr. Chang may recommend that the tooth be restored with a crown (or cap) to help ensure that the tooth and restoration will last as long as possible. Other instances when crowns may be necessary include, but aren't limited to:

• If a tooth is chipped, cracked, or fractured to the point where there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling.
• If a tooth has had a root canal. While not all teeth with root canals require a crown, the majority of them do. This is because when teeth receive root canals, their nerves and blood supply are removed, and the tooth becomes more brittle and vulnerable to cracking. Furthermore, if a tooth requires a root canal, it is usually because there was deep decay that likely removed a lot of healthy tooth structure. A crown placed after a root canal helps hold the tooth together, reducing the risk for cracking or fractures.
• If a tooth already has a large filling that needs to be replaced, either because of new decay around the filling or because of cracks or fractures, sometimes a crown will be required to replace the filling instead of a new filling, because there is not enough tooth structure left to support a new filling.
• If a tooth is cracked and is causing pain when chewing, sometimes a crown is recommended to help hold the tooth together to address those symptoms and prevent further cracking of that tooth.