Important Differences Between Fillings and Crowns

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When a large cavity or fractured tooth needs repairing, people are often presented with a choice; do you want a large filling or a crown? Although some dentists can make it sound as if the two are interchangeable, that is far from accurate. Studio City Dental Center knows this, and will help you make an informed decision when deciding between the two.

Fillings, true to their name, simply fill in a missing part of a tooth. This can work great for minor issues like small cavities but not for larger problems that present a greater amount of tooth decay. Since the filling is held in by the wall of the tooth, a tooth that has a suffered a significant amount of damage and now has a thin and weak wall might not be able to hold the filling permanently. Worse yet, a large filling in a weak tooth could cause the tooth to crack and damage further. If part of the wall is missing, it can be difficult to place a filling as well.

On the bright side, fillings are less expensive than crowns. They can be placed in a single visit most of the time and do not require any special lab work. There are several different materials available to use as fillings, including porcelain, tooth colored plastic and composite resin fillings. This means that fillings are now much more discrete than they were in the past.

Crowns sit over the tooth instead of filling in the hole. They are made of a stronger material than fillings and are therefore much less likely to break. Crowns also protect the tooth better as it applies an even pressure to the tooth. This makes the likelihood of a tooth cracking or damaging further much smaller than when a filling is placed. Another benefit of getting a crown is that it can often be re-placed if it should fall off. Like fillings, crowns can be made out of various materials. A permanent crown is custom made in a dental laboratory. This means that it takes at least two visits to the dentist to have a crown placed. Temporary crowns made in the dentist's office are often used until the permanent crown comes back from the lab.

In short, fillings are faster to place, less expensive and great for fixing minor cavities. However, they can potentially cause further damage to a tooth and are less cosmetically pleasing than crowns. Crowns, on the other hand, are more durable and are great for correcting large issues such as large cavities, root canals and extreme decay. But they have to be custom made and are more expensive than fillings. When deciding between a filling and a crown, let Studio City Dental Center help you make the best choice.

About the Company:

Studio City Dental Center is one among the reputed dental clinic in Studio City, California. Dr. Zareh Kouyoumdjian D.D.S. completed his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California. They offer complete and effective dental treatments to their patients including dental implants, veneers, dentures, fillings, teeth whitening, root canal therapy and various general dentistry services. So, don’t waste your time and get yourself treated from one of the best dentists Dr. Zareh Kouyoumdjian D.D.S. at Studio City Dental Center