How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?

The crown is the part of your tooth that’s visible above the gumline. In an adult who has all their teeth, including their wisdom teeth, there are 32 crowns in the mouth.

Unfortunately, tooth loss is common due to decay, periodontal disease, or injury. In cases where you’re missing a tooth, the dentist may replace the tooth using an artificial crown.

At Hometown Family Dental Centers, our expert team of dentists offers crowns and bridges for our patients who’ve lost one or more teeth and want to restore their smile. Naturally, many patients want to know how long these dental appliances last, so keep reading to learn what our experts have to say.

The tooth loss problem

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7% of American 17-year-olds have lost at least one permanent tooth due to tooth decay. And by age 50, they’ve lost an average of 12 teeth to decay, periodontal disease, or extraction.

And if you’ve had a root canal, a procedure to save the root of a tooth from decay or infection, you retain the root but lose the visible crown.

Losing a permanent tooth is a problem because it can lead to other oral health problems. These include loss of jawbone due to lack of stimulation, nearby teeth shifting into the gap, causing misalignment, and jaw pain. It can also cause other teeth to loosen in their sockets and potentially fall out.

The importance of dental crowns

Dental crowns replace the visible portion of your missing tooth, or cap a tooth root in the case of a root canal. They even serve as the visible restoration when getting a dental implant, a screw that’s embedded in the jawbone to serve as a missing tooth’s “root.”

Crowns can be manufactured from a variety of materials, including:

• Porcelain
• Ceramic
• Zirconia
• Gold, silver, or metal composite
• Composite resin
• A combination of materials

For combination crowns, you could have porcelain fused to metal instead of an all-porcelain option, for example. The dentist chooses the type of material based on the location of your tooth, how much of your tooth will show when you smile (you wouldn’t want all metal on a front tooth), the function of the tooth, its color, and how much natural tooth remains.

In addition to tooth loss, crowns are an important restoration option if you have a cavity too big for a filling, or if your tooth is severely worn, cracked, or otherwise weakened.

How long do crowns last?

Dental crowns can last 5-15 years with proper oral hygiene, depending largely on the material from which they are made. Gold crowns or porcelain fused to metal tend to be the strongest and last the longest, but they’re rarely used for the front teeth because of their color.

Porcelain and resin composite crowns look more like natural teeth, but they wear down faster than their metal counterparts.

You can extend the life of your crown by practicing good oral hygiene. These include brushing at least twice a day, flossing at least once a day, seeing the dentist for semiannual check-ups, avoiding hard foods like ice that could break or chip the material, and wearing a nightguard if you grind your teeth while you sleep (bruxism).

If you’ve lost one or more teeth, or if your teeth are severely worn, a dental crown may be just what you need, and Hometown Family Dental Centers is here to help. Call any of our offices — we have locations in Fayetteville, Raeford, and Vass, North Carolina — or request an appointment online.