How long will my dental crowns last? This is quite a common question asked of dentists by patients undergoing dental crown treatment.
The simple answer is that there is no one single answer to this question. Your crowns are made from very sturdy material that is formulated to stand up to a lot of wear and tear, but how long they will last will depend on the care taken of them and this can vary from person to person.
The average lifespan of dental crowns
While no dentist can guarantee that your crowns will last for X amount of years, we can look at some general averages taken from the thousands of people who have dental crown treatments each year.
On average, a typical dental crown can last anywhere from five to fifteen years. This is according to figures gathered through official dental studies.
Common reasons to have your dental crowns replaced sooner than you expect can be put down to damage received through an accident or impact to your jaw and high sugar diet. You also need to consider factors that can affect your crowns negatively such as your bite force or any teeth grinding habit that you may have. These issues can have an effect on how long your crowns will last.
Dental crown composition
Another point to factor in here is the composition of your dental crowns, or rather what materials they are made from. It is worth talking your options through with your dentist before you decide on what material will be used to form your dental crown.
If you are looking at your treatment from a longevity point of view where you want to take the most long-lasting option possible, then you may consider using gold crowns as according to figures gold crowns make it to a decade of use 96% of the time.
However, you have to consider the cosmetic appearance of your crowns. If you are having crowns fitted to your molars that sit at the back of your mouth, then these will be pretty well hidden from view.
Should you require crowns fitted to your front teeth, then it would be worth considering using porcelain that is fused on to a mental crown. These are very robust and cosmetically appealing with a good 90% reaching ten years of trouble-free wear.
Ceramic crowns are probably the most commonly used option and are metal free. Although relatively new compared to gold and porcelain/metal crowns, they look the best aesthetically and when prepared and fitted with absolute precision, can last over 10 years.
Constant improvement in dental technology
Don’t forget though that dental crown technology, materials used and treatment techniques have vastly improved in recent years. This means that anyone receiving dental crowns these days are more likely to benefit from better longevity. Dental research scientists fully expect the current lifespan of modern crowns to far surpass those that were fitted ten to fifteen years ago as standard.
Talk to your dentist today about the most suitable dental crown treatment to suit your needs.