These problems may warrant a dental cap:

• Chips
• Cracks
• Deep cavities
• Failed filling or crown
• Bridge anchor
• Implant crown
• Root canal therapy tooth restoration

Let’s explore the ways that a dental cap relieves a toothache.

Chipped Tooth

Often painless, chipped teeth won’t ache unless the chip extends into the dentin. 

A tooth is comprised of layers. The outermost layer is a coating of white tooth enamel over the tooth’s crown, and human enamel is extremely durable. It’s the second strongest natural substance on earth, next to diamonds, and it’s the strongest substance the body creates. Beneath the enamel is dentin, a softer, yellow layer penetrated horizontally by tubules that allow sensations to reach the tooth’s nerve. Once dentin is exposed, a tooth will become sensitive to painful stimuli from pressure and intense temperatures.

If you have a chipped tooth, it will need treatment if:

• It causes pain
• The damage extends through the enamel to the dentin
• The affected tooth doesn’t fit well with opposing teeth
• The chip causes cosmetic concerns

For enamel chips, bonding may provide sufficient treatment. Bonding involves adding a bit of custom-tinted dental resin to a tooth to add structure. After applying the resin putty and shaping the restoration, a soft curing light hardens it. Bonding can last about seven years with good oral health and the absence of injury. 

Larger chips warrant the placement of a dental cap to reliably restore the tooth. 

Cracked Tooth

Have you heard of cracked tooth syndrome (CTS)? This is the term we use to describe a cracked tooth. Cracks can:

• Appear weblike, on the enamel only (called crazing)
• Penetrate enamel only
• Penetrate enamel and dentin
• Penetrate to the tooth’s core
• Split the tooth in half vertically
• Split the tooth and root horizontally

Beneath tooth enamel and dentin, a tooth’s nerve is housed within the tooth’s center chamber. The nerve sustains a tooth’s life by delivering nutrients and removing waste. Note that any crack that penetrates the pulp will allow bacteria to enter and cause infection. Internally infected teeth can only be salvaged by root canal therapy (RCT). 

A simple crack can often be treated with a dental cap made of all ceramic, porcelain fused to metal (PFM), all metal, or zirconia.

Deep Dental Cavity

When a cavity extends into the dentin, a toothache will usually occur. Pain ranges from mild to acute. It’s important for you to understand that teeth do not heal naturally like skin and bone. Cracked, chipped, or decaying teeth must be treated by a dentist or the damage can worsen to cause more significant problems, from tooth loss to the spread of infection throughout the jaw and even into the bloodstream. 

If you suffer from a cavity, you may need a filling. A deep dental cavity often requires a dental cap for quality restoration. 

Failed Restoration

Dental restorations aren’t designed to last a lifetime. In fact, they have an expiration date! The longevity of a dental restoration depends on the material from which it’s made, your oral health, the absence of injury, and your lifestyle and habits. 

In general, dental restorations should last: 

• Fillings 7-15 years
• Crowns 5 years to a lifetime (zirconia)
• Bridges 5-15 years

Do You Need a Dental Cap?

Call Chisholm Trail Smile Center in Duncan, OK, now at 580.255.4880 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Matthew Bridges. He’ll conduct a comprehensive oral evaluation, discuss your concerns, and devise a treatment plan that may involve use of a dental cap. Your dental treatment will get you out of pain and into good oral health, designed to last.

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