If your dentist tells you that you have a very large cavity on one of your teeth, he or she may recommend using a dental crown to fix the problem if this can be done. There are times when cavities are too big and the teeth must be extracted, but dentists will always try to save teeth if possible. Here are a few things to understand about this.

Reasons it is better to save a tooth

When a tooth can be saved, a dentist may agree to extract it; however, he or she is more likely to encourage you to have the tooth fixed so it can be saved. Saving each tooth you have is important, primarily because you will only get one set of real teeth in your lifetime. Once you have a tooth extracted, it is gone permanently.

Saving a tooth is also a better option than extracting the tooth simply because real tooth work better than artificial teeth. If you decide to get a tooth extracted, you will most likely need to replace the tooth with either a dental implant or a bridge. Fake teeth may look real, but they will not hold up or act like real teeth.

Ways a dentist saves a tooth

There are usually two steps that are needed to save a tooth that has a lot of decay on it. The first step typically involves getting a root canal. When cavities are big, they tend to be deep, and a deep cavity often allows bacteria to enter through into the roots of the tooth. This leads to inflammation, infection, and pain, but it can be fixed with a root canal. Root canals are not always needed to fix teeth with large cavities, but they are needed often.

The second step the dentist will complete is making a crown for the tooth. A crown is usually made of ceramic and will look like a real tooth. Before the crown is placed on the tooth, the dentist will thoroughly remove all the decay from the tooth. Next, the dentist will make impressions of the tooth or use a camera to take pictures of it.

Once the crown is ready, it is cemented permanently in place over your existing tooth. This existing tooth with a crown on it will be extremely strong, because ceramic is strong and because the tooth will still have roots holding it in place.

Saving teeth is what dentists are good at, and they often use dental crowns to do this. If you have any questions or would like to find out more about dental crowns, contact a dental clinic like Pittsburgh Dental Spa today.