Dental Crown Open Margin
What Is A Dental Crown Open Margin?
A Dental Crown is a tooth-shaped cap that covers a damaged or decayed tooth to restore its shape, size, strength, and improve its appearance. The crown is placed over the tooth and cemented in place to provide a permanent solution for the tooth’s restoration. When designing the dental crown, there should be a smooth, continuous surface from tooth to crown that will prevent bacteria and food from getting trapped at the margin.
A “Dental Crown Open Margin” can occur when the crown doesn’t fit tightly against the tooth, leaving a small gap or space between the crown and the tooth’s surface. This space can sometimes only be seen on a dental x-ray image, like in the image above. It can occur for various reasons, including improper cementation of the crown, or poor initial crown design. If left untreated, the open margin can lead to several oral health problems, including tooth decay, gum disease, dental pain, and even tooth loss. Therefore, it’s essential to identify and address the issue promptly.
Before you contact a Toronto dentist to examine a Dental Crown Open Margin, there are some things you should know as a patient:
- Why Do I Have A Dental Crown Open Margin?
- Signs And Symptoms Of A Dental Crown Open Margin
- Treatment Options For A Dental Crown Open Margin
- How To Prevent A Dental Crown Open Margin
- Managing A Dental Crown Open Margin Until You Can See The Dentist
If you have questions about a Dental Crown Open Margin or other dental problems, please contact us for more information.
Why Do I Have A Dental Crown Open Margin?
Dental Crown Open Margin can occur for various reasons, including:
- Poor Crown Design: When the dental laboratory designs your permanent dental crown, they should ensure that the margin of the tooth preparation is flush with the crown margin design. In doing so, there should be a smooth, continuous surface from tooth to crown that will prevent bacteria and food from getting trapped at the margin. If the lab does not properly identify where the margins of the crown are, a gap or open margin can result. Sometimes this is not the fault of the dental lab. Inaccuracies can be introduced for a variety of reasons: less accurate physical impressions used instead of newer digital scanner impression techniques, moisture or blood preventing accurate impressions, excess gum tissues covering the tooth margins, etc.
- Poor Crown Placement: One of the most common reasons for Dental Crown Open Margin is improper placement of the crown at the time of insertion. Crown cementation is a technique sensitive procedure that requires proper adaptation of a crown onto the prepared tooth surface. If the crown is not fitted correctly or placed too high, it can leave a gap between the tooth and the crown.
If you have an Open Margin under your Dental Crown, it’s essential to identify the cause and address it promptly. Your dentist can help determine the cause of the open margin and recommend the appropriate treatment to prevent further damage and maintain your oral health. If you have further questions about Open Margins under a Dental Crown, please contact us.
Signs and Symptoms of A Dental Crown Open Margin
If you have a Dental Crown Open Margin, you may experience the following signs and symptoms:
- Tooth Sensitivity: You may experience sensitivity or discomfort when eating or drinking hot or cold foods and beverages.
- Tooth Pain: You may feel pain or discomfort when biting down or chewing.
- Gum Swelling: Swelling or tenderness in the gums surrounding the crown may indicate an open margin.
- Food Trapping: Food and debris may get trapped between the open margin and your gums, causing discomfort. You may find that you have to floss your teeth more often because of the open margin under the dental crown.
- Noticeable Gap Under Crown: You may feel a visible gap between the crown and your tooth, indicating an open margin.
- Crown Feels High: You may feel like the crown is higher than your other teeth when biting down. This could be because the crown is not seated fully at the time of cementation.
- Dark Discoloration Under Crown: You may notice dark discoloration or a grayish hue under the crown, which can indicate tooth staining from the open margin, tooth decay or infection.
If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, it’s essential to schedule an appointment with your dentist promptly. Your dentist can examine your crown and determine if you have a Dental Crown Open Margin and recommend the appropriate treatment to prevent further damage to the tooth. If you have further questions about signs and symptoms of a Dental Crown Open Margin, please contact us.
Treatment Options for A Dental Crown Open Margin
If you have a Dental Crown Open Margin, your dentist may recommend the following treatment options:
- Refitting the Crown: In some cases, your dentist may be able to remove the crown, clean it, and re-cement it onto the tooth to eliminate the open gap under the crown.
- Crown Replacement: If the crown is too damaged or poorly fitted, your dentist may recommend removing the crown and replacing it with a new one that fits properly.
The appropriate treatment option will depend on the cause and severity of the Dental Crown Open Margin. It’s essential to schedule an appointment with your dentist promptly if you experience any signs or symptoms of an open margin to prevent further damage. If you have further questions about treatment options for a Dental Crown Open Margin, please contact us.
How to Prevent A Dental Crown Open Margin
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent a Dental Crown Open Margin. These include:
- Choosing a Qualified Dentist: Make sure to choose an experienced dentist with a proven track record of successful dental crowns. Review their Google reviews to ensure patients are happy with their service.
- Crown Lengthening Gum Surgery: Sometimes, the tooth margins are deep and can be obstructed by excess gum tissue, resulting in inaccurate crown impressions and an ill-fitting dental crown. This surgical procedure removes excess gum tissue to expose more of the tooth structure, resulting in cleaner tooth preparation margins. Clean, visible tooth margins are important for accurate crown adaptation. Ask your dentist if crown lengthening gum surgery is required.
- Digital Scanning Impressions: Dental crowns can be made using traditional physical impression techniques or newer digital impression techniques. Using digital scanning technology with an intraoral scanner can provide more accurate impressions, leading to better-fitting dental crowns and fewer complications. Not all dentists use digital scanning technology, so be to consult with a dentist that uses digital intra-oral scanners.
By following these preventive measures, you can ensure a successful dental crown treatment and prevent Open Margins Under Dental Crowns. If you have further questions about how to prevent a Dental Crown Open Margin, please contact us.
Managing A Dental Crown Open Margin Until You Can See the Dentist
If you experience a Dental Crown Open Margin before your scheduled dental appointment, you can take the following steps to manage the issue until you can see your dentist:
- Practice good oral hygiene: Keeping the dental crown that has the open margin as clean as possible. This will help prevent tooth decay and alleviate some of the pain or sensitivity. Brush and floss gently around the tooth. Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water or mouthwash can help reduce infection, inflammation and alleviate toothache pain. You can buy any mouthwash available at your pharmacy or health foods store. Alternatively, you can mix a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water and swish the solution around your mouth for about 30 seconds before spitting it out.
- Use Over-the-Counter Pain Medication: Over-the-counter pain medication can help relieve tooth pain or sensitivity from tooth decay under a veneer. You are also welcome to use over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Ask your dentist what dosage is right for you, but if you do not have a pre-existing medical condition of allergies, 1000mg acetaminophen (Tylenol) with 600mg ibuprofen (Advil) every 4-6 hours or as needed is a very powerful combination.
- Avoid Eating on the Affected Side: Avoid eating on the side of the affected tooth to prevent further irritation or damage to the open margin.
While these measures can help manage Dental Crown Open Margin until you can see your dentist, it’s essential to schedule an appointment as soon as possible to prevent any further damage. If you have further questions about how to manage and treat a Dental Crown Open Margin, please contact us.
