Why Do Crowns Break?

Crowns can break for many reasons, but usually it is a material failure.  The forces that a persons bite creates exceeds the maximum load of the material, so the kind of crown chosen needs to be chosen well.  Even a well chosen material can fail as well if the crown isn't bonded correctly too.

 

Once broken, it should be replaced ASAP.  They cannot be repaired.

Once you have a crown that has broken, you should get it replaced as soon as you can.  You can only cause more problems by waiting.  You could get recurrent  decay and potentially need a root canal by delaying.  Treat it now and you will save yourself some money in the long run. 

A good questions is why does a crown break???? There are many reasons a crown breaks. They main reason usually has to do the bite (how your teeth come together). Your upper and lower jaw can generate a tremendous amout of biting force. This causes stress on the natural teeth as well as anything man made i.e. fillings or crowns. If you have extreme wear and tear, decay, or cracks in your teeth, this can cause your  teeth to fail. If there is a bite discrepancy, or you grind your teeth, or clench your teeth, this can cause your crowns to fail.  Many times it takes getting your bite right in order for you to get your dentistry to last along time.  Proper home care and regular dental visits can help determine many of these things before your teeth or crowns break.  You should get your broken crown replaced failly quickly, as it can become a food trap or it could affect your bite, and lead to more problems.