Should You Get a Crown or an Implant?

    PHOENIX, AZ, May 25, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- If one of your teeth has suffered significant damage or decay, your dentist may give you the option of whether you want to put a dental crown on the tooth or if you would like to have the tooth removed and have it replaced with a dental implant.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when making this decision.

When You Want to Get a Crown

In most cases, you and your dentist should work together to preserve a damaged tooth. Although dental implants are good, nothing beats the strength of natural tooth structure. A dental crown allows you to protect and strengthen a damaged surface part of the tooth (also known as the crown), while continuing to take advantage of a strong subsurface structure (known as the root).

Crowns are commonly used in cases when the tooth has become:

- Weakened by decay
- Weakened by successive fillings
- Worn down
- Suffered a crack that weakens the tooth
- Become infected and needs a root canal to treat it

In all these cases, the dental crown can be used to give you the strength and appearance of a new tooth without the risks involved in actually trying to install a new tooth with a dental implant.

When You Need a Dental Implant

However, sometimes it is not possible to save a damaged tooth and therefore you will need to have your tooth removed and replaced with a dental implant. Or perhaps the tooth is already gone and you need a replacement. In either case, a dental implant Some common causes of tooth removal include:

- Decay or structural damage that goes below the gum line
- Infection that cannot be treated with a root canal
- Teeth affected by periodontal disease
- Impacted teeth

If your tooth must be extracted for one of these reasons, a dental implant may be able to improve your overall oral health. In the case of periodontal disease, though, you may need to get significant treatment prior to having the dental implant placed.

If you are in Phoenix, Arizona and are trying to decide whether you should have a tooth removed, please visit the website of Scott Lesueur & Charles Dodara Cosmetic Dentistry today.

Website: http://www.drsofsmiles.com

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