Dental crowns are designed to protect damaged, worn or misshapen teeth, restoring appearance and functionality. Although high-quality crowns often last around 15 years, dental crown problems can occur.
Accidents, tooth decay, and nerve issues can compromise your oral health, causing sensitivity, discomfort, and infection. Most dental crown problems can be resolved with early intervention by an experienced dentist.
Dental Crown Problems: Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, or dental caries, are the number one oral health problem in Australia, with over 90% of Australian adults experiencing at least one cavity in their lifetime. Tooth decay can occur beneath a crown, slowly eroding the remainder of your natural tooth.
While the dental crown may remain intact, untreated tooth decay can lead to more significant issues, including periodontitis (gum disease). Periodontitis is an infection that deteriorates the gum’s soft tissue and may eventually cause structural damage to your jaw by corroding the bones that support your teeth.
Avoiding tooth decay
Avoid decay by brushing twice a day, flossing, and scheduling routine dental checkups every six months. Signs that you may have caries beneath your crowns include: 
- Sensitivity around the infected area
- Toothache
- Inflammation of the gums
- Bleeding when brushing or flossing
- Grey or brown spots on the organic tooth
Tooth decay treatment
At No Gaps Dental, we treat dental caries with composite fillings. The process involves removing the decay, cleaning the infected area, and filling it with the composite material.
If the tooth is severely decayed or the infected area is inaccessible, we may have to remove the crown, treat the cavity, and build up the deteriorated tooth with composite.
We will then fit you for a new crown. Using state-of-the-art Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC) technology, we can produce and fit custom dental crowns in a single visit.
Dental Crown Problems: Damaged or Loose Crown
While good oral health and hygiene habits may preserve dental crowns for many years, an accident or trauma can cause them to loosen, crack, chip, or break. Common causes of dental crown damage include:
- Falling
- Blunt trauma to the face
- Bruxism (teeth grinding)
- Wear and tear
- Biting on hard substances
Avoiding dental crown damage
Although an accident may be unavoidable, there are several ways to care for dental crowns that minimise damage. Aside from regular brushing and flossing, avoid chewing or biting hard and sticky foods such as hard candy, toffee, popcorn kernels, nuts, or ice.
Kick bad habits that put excess stress on your teeth, including nail-biting, chewing on pens, opening bottles with your mouth, or grinding your teeth. If you grind your teeth at night, consider wearing a nightguard.
If you notice a damaged or loose crown, visit your dentist immediately. Cracks or gaps allow food to become trapped beneath your crown, causing bacteria to develop. If left untreated, this can cause a bacterial infection.
Damaged dental crown treatment
For minor chips, we can restore the crown using composite resin. We apply the material to the crown while it remains in your mouth before reshaping it to its original condition.
If the dental crown is loose or damaged extensively, it may need to be replaced. Provided there is no root damage; we can fit same-day CEREC dental crowns.
Our dentists use CAD/CAM computer-aided software and manufacturing technology to produce dental crowns on-site. This advanced technology helps us to create precision fitting replacements. We ensure our dental crowns match the shape of your mouth and the colour of your existing teeth.
Dental Crown Problems: Nerve Issues
Sensitivity and discomfort are common dental crown problems immediately after getting a crown. However, the process occasionally disturbs the nerves and connective tissue, causing discomfort. While this irritation typically occurs immediately after your procedure, it may take weeks to develop.
Avoiding sensitivity issues
Standard sensitivity can be treated using a mouthwash or toothpaste for sensitive teeth. These products are formulated with desensitising ingredients like potassium, fluoride, and strontium salts.
After a few weeks, extreme sensitivity to hot and cold should decrease. However, an irritated nerve may require more extensive treatment.
Treating nerve damage
If your dental crown was fitted without a prior root canal, your tooth has remaining nerves. Dental crowns occasionally push down on these nerves, causing trauma and inflammation. Alternatively, old fillings beneath your crown may wear away, causing bacteria to develop, resulting in nerve infection.
If you experience significant discomfort or nerve damage, you’ll likely need a root canal and a dental crown replacement. At No Gaps Dental, we provide root canal therapy using minimally invasive techniques, ensuring patients are kept as comfortable as possible before, during, and after a procedure.
The root canal process involves removing infected pulp from the tooth’s pulp chamber. While this material is vital in the formative years, an adult’s tooth can function without it if it is capped with a strong crown.
Once the pulp is removed, we clean the area and seal the root using gutta percha and composite resin to prevent further damage.
Dental Crown Problems: Allergies
One of the more rare dental crown problems is an allergic reaction. Some dental practices use metal-based materials to fill teeth or fabricate dental crowns, causing an allergic reaction in some patients.
Avoiding allergic reactions
Avoid adverse reactions to the materials used in the dental crown process by discussing the procedure with your dentist. Ensure you notify your dentist of any allergic or sensitive substances. If you’re unaware of hypersensitivities, your doctor may be able to test for them.
Allergy treatment
Before any procedure at No Gaps Dental, your dentist will ask you about potential allergies or medical conditions relating to the materials we use. However, our CEREC dental crowns are made from hypoallergenic ceramic, reducing the risk of allergic reaction.
The procedure also eliminates the need for temporary crowns, which is a common source of sensitivity.
Schedule a Dental Crown Procedure With No Gaps Dental
Dental crowns are an excellent long-term solution for restoring the natural look and feel of your teeth. At No Gaps Dental, we use the latest technology and dental techniques to create long-lasting dental crowns. However, if you experience issues due to an accident or tooth decay, rest assured we can treat your problem immediately.
For more information on getting a crown or dental crown problems, schedule an appointment with one of our experienced dentists today by calling us on (02) 8806 0227. Book a consultation at one of our 15 Sydney-based facilities using our convenient online scheduling system.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
Australia’s Oral Health Tracker Technical Paper
https://www.ada.org.au/Dental-Professionals/Australia-s-Oral-Health-Tracker/Australia-s-Oral-Health-Tracker-Technical-Appendix/ADA_AHPC_Technical-Appendix_07032018
Teeth Grinding
https://www.teeth.org.au/teeth-grinding
Dental Abscess
https://ada.com/conditions/dental-abscess/
Allergic Reactions to Dental Materials-A Systematic Review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4625353/