Jane was having temperature sensitivity with
one of her older crowns and came in to have it checked out. I found new decay
going under her crown. “How can that be???” Jane exclaimed, “I thought once I
had a crown that the tooth couldn’t get decay!”
She was half right. The crown
itself will not decay. It’s either porcelain or metal. But the tooth it is
cemented on is still 100% tooth and can decay just like any tooth. There is a
junction between your crown and your tooth. The tooth can decay at this junction,
then spread under your crown. When you take an x-ray of the tooth you can’t see
through the metal, so if the decay has spread farther under the crown, it
doesn’t show up on the x-ray.
If we catch the decay in its
very early stages, many times we can remove it before it spreads further under
the crown. But once it starts moving up under your crown, it’s very difficult,
if not impossible, to get it all out. If that’s the case, the crown must be
replaced. If you leave any decay under a crown, eventually that decay will grow
and infect the nerve in the tooth. Then you need a root canal and a new crown.
Once Jane understood her crowned tooth was still able to decay, it was like a
light bulb clicked on. She had this misconception for years. Now she knows.
Make sure to have your crowns
checked regularly. Should early decay be present, it’s a simple repair. Once
it’s a little deeper, it will take a new crown. Help us help you. We’re into
prevention and want to help you maintain your teeth for your entire lifetime!
In the Interest of Better Dental Health,
Dr.
Chuck
