For the past 12 years, I’ve had porcelain crowns on my front teeth. I’m in the middle of orthodontic treatment, and one of the crowns that I knew was somewhat defective has a horizontal fracture near the bottom that is getting more noticeable. I am concerned that the crown will break. Is it urgent to get it fixed, or can it wait? I’m hoping that it won’t prolong my Invisalign treatment. Thank you. Braxton
Braxton,
Although you don’t need to make an emergency appointment with a dentist, it is best to find an advanced cosmetic dentist to replace the crown. Likely, the fracture will ultimately break. And getting the crown replaced before it becomes an emergency is wise. A broken crown will leave your tooth unprotected and susceptible to breaking.
Cracks or Craze Lines in Crowns
Small cracks or craze lines in teeth or ceramic crowns are not usually a major concern. But if you can see the crack, it is progressing. A cosmetic dentist will examine your teeth and crowns and decide if only the cracked crown—or all your crowns—require replacement.
If only one crown is replaced, expert color-matching is required to match the existing crowns and your natural teeth. An advanced cosmetic who understands how to manipulate ceramic crowns to match your natural tooth shade and translucency won’t unnecessarily recommend replacing all your crowns. But be concerned about a dentist who tells you that the only way to achieve a match is to replace all your crowns. It means that the dentist doesn’t know how to achieve a match.
Broken Crown During Invisalign Treatment
Briefly interrupting orthodontic treatment to replace a fractured crown protects your oral health
If your crown broke and you’re in the middle of orthodontic treatment, your Invisalign treatment will be somewhat interrupted in the process of getting new crowns. Generally, it takes two visits to get new crowns.
- First visit – Your dentist will prepare your tooth and take digital impressions for a custom crown.
- Waiting period – Your dentist will send the impressions and instructions to a dental ceramist to make a custom crown. It takes about two weeks.
- Second visit – You will return to the office for your dentist to cement the crown to your tooth.
But with a trained cosmetic dentist, the delay should not be prolonged or lengthen your treatment significantly. Ask your cosmetic dentist and Invisalign provider for an estimate on how long getting new crowns will delay your orthodontic treatment.
This post is sponsored by Dr. Rekha Reddy, an Invisalign Platinum provider in Dallas, TX.
