Do I Need a Dental Crown or A Tooth Filling?

Dr. Reza Written by Dr. Reza Khazaie

Dental Crown or Tooth Filling?

Dental crown or tooth filling - Willow Pass Dental Care - Concord, CA

Dental crowns and tooth fillings are two of the most common dental procedures.

Crowns and fillings are so common that one-third of all US adults have at least one crown.

The average adult (20 to 64 years old) has between 4 and 10 fillings.

The procedures are so standard that nearly everyone at some point will get a dental crown or tooth filling.

However, how can you know when you need a dental crown or tooth filling?

10 Signs It’s Time to Get A Dental Crown or Tooth Filling

Dental crown or tooth filling - Willow Pass Dental Care - Concord, CA
  1. The presence of a cavity
  2. Dental sensitivity to hot or cold
  3. Visible dark spots on the tooth
  4. Dental pain
  5. Cracked tooth
  6. Fractured tooth
  7. Broken tooth
  8. Severely worn tooth
  9. A tooth that has undergone an endodontic procedure (root canal)
  10. Old tooth filling that has cracked or has fallen out

Tooth filling or dental crown?

To truly know whether a tooth filling or dental crown procedure is called for, it is essential to visit a dental clinic where a dentist (Concord CA dentist) can thoroughly examine your teeth with unique dental instruments and obtain detailed x-rays. Depending on the extent and severity of any dental damage uncovered, your dentist will make the best recommendations for treatments going forward.

What does a dental crown achieve?

Dental crown - Concord CA Dentist - Willow Pass Dental Care, Concord, CA

A dental crown is designed to protect and rescue a compromised tooth from sustaining further damage.

A dental crown can help relieve the stress on a weak or damaged tooth by providing structural stability and by reducing the forces of biting and chewing on the tooth. This is especially important for teeth that have been structurally compromised by the presence of a cavity, crack, or fracture in the tooth, as well as for teeth that have recently undergone an endodontic (root canal) treatment procedure.

Dental crown - Concord CA Dentist - Willow Pass Dental Care - Concord, CA

A dental crown can also provide an aesthetic benefit by covering up blemishes and visible signs of damage while preventing the tooth from further degrading over time.

Dental crown - Concord CA Dentist - Willow Pass Dental Care - Concord, CA

What does a tooth filling achieve?

Unlike a dental crown, a tooth filling does not cover a tooth or protrude from it. Instead a tooth filling is designed to plug or fill in spaces, cracks, and crevices and prevent penetration into a tooth. Most commonly a tooth filling is used by a dentist (Concord CA dentist) to “fill” or plug in the holes as a result of a cavity from tooth decay.

Below is an illustration that shows how a tooth filling works.

Dental crown - Concord CA Dentist - Willow Pass Dental Care, Concord, CA

Tooth decay

In so doing, tooth fillings prevent the dental cavity from becoming reinfected. A tooth filling will also divert food debris and other unwanted substances from coming trapped inside the tooth cavity space causing further tooth decay.

Similar to a dental crown, a tooth filling is designed to repair and protect your teeth from sustaining further damage or tooth decay.

Dental crown - Concord CA Dentist - Willow Pass Dental Care - Concord, CA

For more information, we recommend Dr. Reza’s Complete Guide to Teeth Cleaning. This guide provides you with 13 topics about teeth cleaning and the connection between your teeth and your health and oral health.

We also recommend Dr. Reza’s Complete Guide to a Dental Exam. A dental exam is a preventative health measure that focuses on your oral health and is vitally important to your overall health. Topics covered in this guide include what is a dental exam, how much does a dental exam cost, when do you need an exam, what happens during the exam, and the step-by-step routine of a dental exam.

Since we mentioned root canal treatment, we recommend you check out Dr. Reza’s Complete Guide to Root Canal Treatment. This guide contains the top 15 questions Dr. Reza receives that are related to the root canal procedure. Topics such as what is a root canal, why root canals are necessary, endodontist vs. dentist, step-by-step guide to a root canal procedure, the benefits of getting a root canal, and when should you consider a root canal an emergency.