It is essential to fix decay under the crown of a tooth as it can lead to serious health concerns. Brown and grey spots show up on the tooth material around a crown where pearly whites should be. These spots indicate tooth decay, which can be the culprit of nerve damage. Decay under crowns starts with a buildup of a sticky yellow plaque film. Plaque contains bacteria that attacks the teeth and combines with saliva to mineralize into a hard, crusty yellow or brown tartar. Tartar deposits adhere to the teeth, trap stains, and accumulate. If the problem persists, it can damage nerves, lead to root canals and other complicated procedures. The cavity under crown repair process is to remove the old crown, remove the decay, and replace the crown.
What causes Decay Under Crown?
After someone eats, the food left on the teeth and surrounding areas becomes a feast for harmful bacteria. So what causes tooth decay under crowns? This bacteria lives within the plaque that lives inside of mouths. The bacteria microbes sustain themselves through sugar. Consequently, they flourish from leftover food. Acid develops from the bacteria, attacking and damaging the enamel. This acid creates holes in the teeth, also known as tooth decay.
Regularly brushing and flossing teeth removes plaque. Having a dentist monitor and clean one’s teeth also helps remove plaque. Most importantly, dentists can notice signs of decay before the decay worsens. Neglecting these oral hygiene steps will result in plaque becoming trapped under crowns and in the cracks of teeth. As a result, the plaque causes decay under crowns.
What happensif you get a rotting tooth under a crown?
Crowns are covers that are connected on top of teeth to improve them when they have problems. These problems include cracked teeth and cavities that are too large for a filling. When decay occurs, it happens around the crown’s edges on the natural tooth and quickly spreads underneath the crown. Consequently, the old crown needs to be removed, along with the decay.
After that, dentists must add a new crown. Sometimes the decaying eats through the natural tooth entirely and destroys the nerves. In these cases, if dentists can still save the tooth, a root canal will need to be performed before adding a new crown.
When a tooth has already had a crown, the new crown’s edges will need to be deeper. The process requires this additional depth because of the space left from where the dentist removed the decay. Fixing a rotting tooth under a crown is a difficult process and may require a crown specialist.
How to identify cavity under crown symptoms
Sometimes the size of the area affected by decay under crowns is relatively small. However, decay under a crown is always unpleasant, with the ability to cause severe damage. There may be brown and grey spots that one can see. But some of the signs of decay are less specific. Dentists can X-ray to look for decay under crowns. Even so, a more in-depth examination may be necessary through a second opinion.
Other signs of a cavity under a crown to look for include crown tooth pain or sensitivity, inflamed gums, and bleeding while practicing routine oral hygiene. Keeping up with regular dental appointments and going in as soon as one suspects any signs of decay under crowns will make a difference in their oral health.
How to preventdental crown pain
Crown tooth pain is caused by plaque, which can be removed by brushing and flossing. To avoid having the bacteria in the plaque cause damage and pain under the crown, one should keep up with routine oral hygiene. That includes brushing twice a day, flossing every day, and visiting a dentist regularly. One final way is to preserve a dental crown’s integrity is to avoid chewing on hard or crunchy foods, especially ice.
Stop decay before it starts with regular checkups from Dr. Wilhite’s dental team. Our practice is here to deliver high-quality dentistry to the Plano, Texas, community. We want to keep you happy and your smile healthy!
Crown tooth pain, swollen gums, tooth sensitivity, and fever can all be signs of an infected tooth crown.
Why does my crown smell bad?
Dentists use dental cement to put crowns in place. Over time the cement wears down, leaving space for material like bacteria and food to enter. This bacteria can lead to a bad smell. Space for bacteria to flourish can also occur if a crown becomes loose for any reason.
How do you clean under a crown?
Good flossing technique keeps plaque from causing issues. Floss should be threaded and moved through the space between the crown and the gumline. Regular brushing also helps clean around the crown.
How does a dentist remove a crown?
Removal of temporary crowns is standard practice. Dentists gently pry temporary crowns. This action causes the dental cement that holds the crown and tooth together to break. Dentists may take alternative methods for other more permanent crowns. The first of these methods is cutting a hole in the crown and using it to lift the crown from the tooth. The second is cutting into the crown with a high-speed rotary instrument in which case the crown is not reusable.
In this post, we discuss the recovery time for dental implant surgery, factors that can affect the recovery, and what you can expect.
For many patients, dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth that have been lost from tooth decay, gum disease, or other issues. They are the ideal situation for the right candidates while others may be better suited for crowns, dentures or bridgework may be appropriate.
Want to learn more about dental implants in Plano, TX? Schedule your consultation: (972) 964-3774
Missing teeth replaced with dental implants will look, feel and function just like your natural teeth. With proper care can last a lifetime.
You may have heard that dental implant procedures are a process which will take more than a single visit. There will also be some recovery time from dental implants.
In this post, we discuss how long it takes to recover from the dental implant procedure.
Dental Implant Recovery Process
Recovery can vary between patients depending on the scope of the procedure and many factors such as the health of your teeth, gums, whether a bone graft is necessary and what type of implants are required.
Most patients return to work or normal routines the following day after the dental implant procedure.
For the majority of patients, over the counter pain medications such as Ibuprofen are all that is needed to manage any pain.
It is important to know, however, that the entire healing process can take several months, sometimes as long as six months or more for full healing.
Dental Implant Procedure and Recovery
The dental implant surgery will extract your old tooth (if necessary), then replace it with a titanium post placed directly into your jawbone. When the post is secure and settled, a crown or overdenture will be placed on top of it.
You’ll have a temporary crown in place while the healing process takes place.
When the implant post has been installed, the recovery can begin. Your body will need to generate enough new bone to fully support the implant – called osseointegration.
You will need to follow your dentist’s instructions at this time as far as eating and care for your teeth. This will be especially important in the first week after the implant procedure to ensure normal healing.
You will have scheduled follow up appointments after your surgery to check on the recovery and to decide when to have the permanent crown installed.
The full recovery time from surgery will take anywhere from 3-6 months depending on your situation and healing.
The implant surgery, recovery and follow up appointments and procedures are a process that will take several months to complete, from as few as three to as many as ten. On average this process can be expected to take six months.
Dr. Wilhite and his staff would be happy to go into greater detail with you to answer your questions.
Please contact us to schedule your dental implant consultation in our Plano, Texas office.
Want to learn if dental implants are the best option for you?
Contact us today to set up your consultation. Dr. Wilhite is a Plano TX Dentist with over 30 years experience transforming patients smiles for the better. He will discuss possible treatments to decide which is right for you.
Cosmetic dentistry procedures to enhance your teeth will provide you with not just a better smile, but also great health, improved self-esteem, and confidence as well.
For Cosmetic Dentistry in Plano, Texas, CALL (972) 964-3774
A great smile gives you confidence when you enter a room or meet new people for the first time.
If you are considering cosmetic dentistry to improve your smile, you’re probably wondering what it can do for you.
What can it fix? What will your smile look like? Will there really be a noticeable improvement?
It’s not difficult for us to give you an answer. We can SHOW you what cosmetic dentistry can do for your smile.
View these cosmetic dentistry photos below to see REAL RESULTS from REAL PATIENTS.
Cosmetic Dentistry Before and After Photos
From a single procedure to multiple procedures, we can find the right cosmetic dentistry procedure that will help restore your smile or make it better than it has ever been before.
Invisalign is a system of clear aligners that are an alternative to traditional braces and orthodontics. They can straighten your teeth while providing many advantages including the convenience to remove them as needed and allowing you to still eat all the same kinds of food.
If necessary, you can combine several cosmetic dentistry procedures to get the smile you desire. We can use crowns, porcelain veneers, and teeth whitening to give you a beautiful smile. You can also benefit from TMJ Treatments to ease headaches caused by TMJ.
Full mouth restoration is used when all or most of your teeth need to be restored. Their shape, color, and alignment may all need to be restored. It also helps protect your teeth from future damages and sensitivity. All types of cosmetic procedures can be combined to rebuild your smile.
Want to learn how cosmetic dentistry can benefit you?
Contact us today to set up your consultation. Dr. Wilhite is a Plano TX Dentist with over 30 years of experience transforming patients smiles for the better. He will discuss possible treatments to decide which is right for you.
Below are some products we use and recommend at the office of Dr Wilhite.
Prevident Toothpaste
Prevident Toothpaste is a product recommended for patients experiencing dry mouth. This product can be purchased in our dental office.
Fluoridex Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoridex Fluoride toothpaste contains more fluoride than can be purchased over-the-counter in a regular tube of toothpaste.
We suggest this product for patients with crown and bridge work or patients that are more cavity prone.
Sonicare Toothbrushes
Dr Wilhite and his hygienist feel Sonicare Toothbrushes are the best electric toothbrush on the market.
When you purchase these in our dental office there is no tax added to the cost. You will be getting a higher end more advanced toothbrush than is available in retail stores.
BruxZir Crowns
BruxZir Crowns are all porcelain and give support for back teeth so a patient doesn’t not have to have metal in their crown.
All porcelain crowns were always used for front teeth and in the past many felt you could not have an all porcelain crown for a back tooth.
QUESTION: My dentist told me that due to my heavy clenching I could only have gold crowns on my molars. Are there any alternatives?
David Wilhite says:
BruxZir crowns are a brand of crowns made from zirconium. These are excellent crowns for people who clench and grind their teeth.
Prior to these crowns, the best material that we had for a patient who clenches and grinds their teeth was gold. Many patients did not like any metal showing in their mouths and wanted a strong and esthetic alternative.
Five years ago, the only alternative was porcelain fused to metal crown (PFM). The problem with these crowns is that the porcelain could chip off the underlying metal and the metal would be exposed.
When zirconium crowns first came out, they were very strong but very light colored and did not meet patient expectations. As improvements were made, as more different shades became available, the aesthetics greatly improved to the point where they match the natural teeth very well.
Contact us today to set up your examination. Dr. Wilhite has over 30 years of experience helping patients to keep their smiles healthy. He will be able to identify possible issues and recommend further treatments if needed.
David Wilhite is a Plano, Texas Dentist specializing in cosmetic dentistry with over 30 years experience in general and pediatric dentistry.
For many patients, 
Most patients return to work or normal routines the following day after the dental implant procedure.
You’ll have a temporary crown in place while the healing process takes place.
The implant surgery, recovery and follow up appointments and procedures are a process that will take several months to complete, from as few as three to as many as ten. On average this process can be expected to take six months.
Cosmetic dentistry
Prevident Toothpaste is a product recommended for patients experiencing dry mouth. This product can be purchased in our 
Fluoridex Fluoride toothpaste contains more fluoride than can be purchased over-the-counter in a regular tube of toothpaste.
Dr Wilhite and his hygienist feel 
BruxZir Crowns
QUESTION: My dentist told me that due to my heavy clenching I could only have gold crowns on my molars. Are there any alternatives?
Contact us