The appearance of your front teeth affects your entire smile.
Every tooth in your smile is important, from your incisors to your second molars, but your front (anterior) teeth take the spotlight. Anterior teeth are immediately visible when you smile, talk, and chew. When a cosmetic problem or damage occurs to your anterior teeth, chances are high you’ll want to find a solution right away in order to reclaim a full, beautiful smile.
Your smile’s appearance has a big impact on your relationships with others.
Studies show that an attractive smile has a significant effect on how a person is perceived by those around them, particularly acquaintances who are forming their first impressions of a person. These first impressions often include trustworthiness, confidence, amiability, and in cases of personal relationships, attractiveness.
Family and friend relationships, romantic relationships, and work relationships are all positively impacted by a great smile. With your anterior teeth making up the majority of your visible smile, you can see why special care must be taken in creating dental crowns on these teeth.
Anterior crowns are crowns placed on anterior or front teeth.
Anterior teeth include the central incisors, the lateral incisors, and the canines. You have a total of 12 anterior teeth, six each on your upper and lower jaws. If you look at your smile in the mirror, you’ll see that these teeth really stand out the most.
The term ‘anterior crown’ only refers to the location of the restoration. Your anterior crown can be made of the very same material as a crown for posterior teeth (premolars and molars).
The main difference between anterior and posterior crowns is the goal behind the design.
A posterior crown must be especially durable and long-lasting as it’ll take the brunt of your chewing force. An anterior crown must also be durable, but also exceptionally beautiful and detailed as they are in the most obvious position in your smile. You want a crown that you’ll be happy with for many years to come.
The design of anterior crowns requires two special considerations.
In order to achieve the best possible anterior crown, these two factors need to be incorporated by your dentist.
1. Anterior crowns should look like your natural teeth, but better.
Every smile is one-of-a-kind right down to the shape, size, and color of our teeth. An experienced dentist will take note of the natural characteristics of your teeth and design your crown to blend in. Your finished crown will be an improvement, but not stand out from your overall smile.
If your anterior crowns are being used for cosmetic purposes to change the appearance of your front teeth, they’ll still be realistic in design and look like natural teeth, even if they do look different than what you originally had.
2. Anterior crowns must balance aesthetic appeal and durability.
The design of anterior crowns is more challenging than posterior crowns. A successful anterior crown needs to be designed with the right balance of cosmetic beauty and long-lasting function.
An artistically shaped and colored crown may look incredible, but if strength and durability are lacking the crown may fail. On the other hand, a very strong anterior crown may last for 10 to 15 years or more, but if it sticks out like a sore thumb you’ll likely not be happy and wind up prematurely replacing it.
Getting a successful anterior crown that is as beautiful as it is long-lasting really comes down to one key factor—the dentist you choose.
Why you want to choose a dentist with an artistic eye and skills in cosmetic dentistry.
A dentist whose experience revolves around general dentistry, preventive care, and routine restorative care can offer a decent crown for patients. However, in the case of anterior crowns where detail and artistry are crucial, a dentist with additional skills in cosmetic dentistry is a real boon.
Dentists with cosmetic dentistry skills have a keen eye when it comes to designing anterior crowns that most truly resemble natural teeth. The crown will be expertly shaped to blend in with your smile and colored in a way that mimics the natural translucency and color gradient seen in real tooth enamel. Dentists who are very familiar with porcelain veneers and smile makeovers are often more adept at seeing the big picture of a person’s smile, even if they’re only placing anterior crowns at the moment.
Dr. Harris can elevate your smile with stunning anterior dental crowns.
Dr. Harris and the Harris Dental team bring a touch of fine art to restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Entrusting Dr. Harris with your anterior dental crown treatment means you’ll receive all of the benefits of a dentist with cosmetic experience in addition to gentle, compassionate care.
Take the first step towards a healthier, more beautiful smile today by booking a consultation for your anterior dental crowns. We welcome you to call our Maryville office or fill out this quick online form.