Crowns

Why did my dentist recommend a crown for my tooth?

Take a look at the old silver filling in this picture. If you look carefully, you will see minor crack lines that go through the tooth from one end to the other. This tooth is breaking and this crack is running through the existing silver filling. However, there are absolutely no symptoms! Unfortunately, the implications of these crack indicate a high risk of breakage and extraction needed in the future. By seeing the crack lines early, we have an opportunity to save this tooth by placing a crown.

Fillings are great in sealing a tooth with a cavity, however, they do not protect the tooth from breaking. This is why we recommend crowns for teeth that are at high risk. Typically these teeth are back molars with major biting force, root canal teeth, and teeth with large fillings without good structural support. 

The pictures above are not my own, from Dr. Stephen Phelan from http://www.phelandental.com