What Happens If I Don't Get a Crown for My Damaged Tooth?

Dental crowns cover damaged teeth, like a sturdy full-tooth shield. At Tenth Street Family Dental in Indianapolis, Indiana, our state-of-the-art office is equipped with the latest dental technology—from digital X-rays to the highest quality materials for custom crowns. 

Our gentle, empathetic dental care team understands that patients want to avoid unnecessary dental work whenever possible. We respect your needs while providing you the crucial info you need to make decisions about your long-term oral health. 

Keep reading to learn why dental crowns are important and what can happen if you don’t get one when you need it. 

Results when you skip the crown

Dental crowns are made of strong materials, such as porcelain, metal, and composite resin. They cover the entire visible surface of a tooth. Our dentists may recommend a dental crown after you experience significant tooth damage, such as:

• A broken tooth
• A severe tooth crack
• A worn-down tooth 

In these situations, a crown shields your tooth from harmful bacteria and other types of damage while greatly improving its strength. Essentially, a crown can restore your tooth to full force. 

Skipping the crown can quickly put you right back where you started: with a severely damaged tooth — and the damage is often worse the second time around.

Another common reason to need a crown is severe tooth decay. When the decay extends into the soft tissues inside the tooth, causing an infection, the best treatment is usually root canal therapy. 

In root canal therapy, our dentists remove that infected tissue, disinfect the inside of the tooth, and place a sterile material inside the tooth as a substitute. Although this does restore some of the tooth’s usual strength, a tooth is still much weaker than normal after root canal therapy. 

Though exact estimates of human bite force vary, most studies indicate that when you bite down, it puts a whopping 200 pounds of pressure on your teeth. A weakened tooth can’t withstand that kind of pressure without weakening further or even becoming irreversibly damaged, requiring a tooth extraction later.

That’s where a crown can help. It can restore your tooth to its full bite force and allow you to chew, eat, and speak without fear. 

Dental crown benefits 

A dental crown offers crucial tooth protection when you need it the most. Beyond that, it can:

• Restore normal biting and chewing
• Eliminate the pain of a damaged tooth
• Improve your appearance with color-matched materials

High-quality crowns can last many years, and you can maximize longevity with good oral health care at home and regular checkups in our Indianapolis dental office. 

Schedule a consultation with our dental crown experts

Concerned about your tooth and want to make sure it’s protected? Call Tenth Street Family Dental at 317-358-8885 to book your appointment now.