Dental crowns are one of the first tools that a dentist reaches for when they want to repair a damaged tooth. However, that's not all that they're capable of doing. If you have damaged teeth that have altered the look of your smile and you're tired of seeing their jagged or broken appearance, here's how crowns can help to give you the perfect smile you're looking for.

Main Purpose

Of course, you probably know that dental crowns are great for repairs. They help to take the stress off of your teeth when you bite down on them, absorbing it before it can cause pain or damage. They're also great for sealing out bacteria and dangerous debris that can lead to cavities or infections depending on how much of the inside of the tooth has been exposed by damage. You can feel confident in the safety of your oral health while feeling impressed with your new look.

Choosing Porcelain

Dental crowns come in multiple varieties, but it's important to choose porcelain when choosing a crown to improve your appearance.

Porcelain is one of the best materials to make dental crowns out of. Other dental replacements are also made out of porcelain, like veneers. Dentists like using it not only because it's strong and resilient, but because it strongly resembles natural tooth material. Porcelain has that glossy surface that healthy teeth do. Getting a crown made out of an artificial-looking material, like metal, defeats the purpose of using crowns for cosmetic purposes, so stick with porcelain.

Side Whitening

If you want to boost the appearance of your smile, you might consider talking to your dentist about getting the rest of your teeth whitened.

Your porcelain crown can be made in any shade you want, but it's not affected by tooth whitening. This means that if you get a porcelain crown that matches your current tooth color and later whiten your teeth, it made not match. Instead, consider getting your teeth whitened by your dentist to the perfect shade you want, and then have the crown made the same shade. This will allow you to have a perfectly white smile all around in addition to having the appearance of your broken-down tooth repaired.

Dentists can do a lot for your looks while they're working on your oral health. If you want help with your dental appearance, visit a dental office like Parklane Dental and discuss a combination of crowns and tooth whitening.