When a tooth is badly damaged, there's often a choice between saving it with a crown or removing it. In most cases, saving the tooth is the better path. Here's why.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a cap that covers a tooth to restore its size, shape, and strength. Crowns can be made from porcelain, metal, or a combination. Porcelain crowns offer a natural appearance, making them an excellent choice for front teeth.
Why Saving the Tooth Usually Wins
Your natural tooth root helps preserve the jawbone and keeps neighboring teeth from shifting. A crown lets you keep that root and the tooth's function. Extraction, by contrast, leads to the need for a replacement — an implant or bridge — which costs more and takes longer than a crown.
When We Recommend a Crown
A crown is often the right call after a root canal, when a large filling has failed, when a tooth is cracked, or when a tooth is worn down or weakened. During your exam, we'll tell you honestly whether a crown can save the tooth — or whether extraction and replacement is genuinely the better option.
Have a question about your smile?
We're always happy to talk it through. Book a visit or give us a call — new patients are welcome, and most PPO insurance is accepted.