How to Tell if You Really Need a Crown on a Tooth

Dentists apply crowns to broken, cracked or decayed teeth that are too damaged to be repaired with a filling. A crown replaces part of the tooth and provides more structure than a filling. It covers a damaged tooth, holds it together and improves its appearance. Crowns protect damaged teeth and prevent pain and infection. Only a qualified dental professional can properly determine whether a tooth needs a crown, but you can perform your own assessment to find out if a tooth is a likely candidate for a crown.

Things You'll Need

• Decayed tooth
• Cracked tooth
• Tooth with a large or old filling
• Broken tooth
• Bright light
• Dentist

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Instructions

• 1

  Examine the tooth for a cavity. A cavity is an area of decay on the tooth. Large cavities may need a crown instead of a filling.

• 2

  Eat food or drink beverages that are hot, cold, sweet and sour to test for sensitivity in the tooth. Intermittent sensitivity is a symptom of a crack in the tooth. Also make note of any sharp pain you experience when chewing, another sign of a crack that may need a crown.

• 3

  Inspect the filling in the tooth, if it has one. Is the filling small or large? Large fillings require a greater portion of the tooth to be removed before filling, which makes the tooth more susceptible to cracking and breaking. Teeth with old fillings are also candidates for crowns.

• 4

  Check the tooth for any broken surfaces. Broken cusps need to be crowned.

• 5

  Shine a bright light on the tooth to look for a crack. If the light shines through the crack, it is probably not serious. If the crack blocks the light, it is a deep fracture. A tooth with multiple fractures needs a crown. A crown applied to a cracked tooth prevents it from breaking.