Crowns vs. Fillings
Dental treatments for cavities and other dental issues can get very confusing very fast, so it’s important to get educated on the basics of how your dentist may approach them. Fillings and crowns are very common approaches to remedying dental hygiene issues.
But, what exactly are fillings and crowns?
Crowns for Cavities
Crowns are typically made from porcelain, metals, resins, and ceramics, and are used primarily for the following purposes.
- Strengthen a weak tooth
- Replace a missing tooth
- Cover an implant
- Cover an unattractive tooth for cosmetic purposes
Fillings for Cavities
Dental fillings are utilized for filling cavities within your teeth. They are made from composite resins, dental amalgam, and gold fillings. First, a dentist removes decayed tooth material, and then fills the space with the filling. This ensures that there is no further tooth decay that occurs in the oral cavity on that tooth.
So, What's The Difference?
Fillings are used to fill a cavity, while crowns cover it completely. Crowns last longer than fillings, and are used for cavities when there is not enough of the tooth to hold a filling.
The Bottom Line
However, the bottom line is, prevention is key. Practicing good dental hygiene habits now will allow you to avoid either of these procedures in the future.