What It Means When You See a Gap Between Your Crown and Your Gums

A properly fitted crown should completely hide your tooth, leaving no space between it and the gums. However, sometimes a gap can form beneath the crown, and this can lead to irritating and embarrassing situations where food becomes trapped in these areas and needs to be removed with your toothbrush. What causes these spaces to form? And what do you need to do about them? Read on to learn more about this unusual issue you might have with your dental crowns in Boonsville.

How Do Gaps Form Underneath Dental Crowns?

Generally speaking, if there’s space between your crown and your jaw, it’s a sign that the gums have started to recede. This means that the gum tissue around the tooth has worn away or is starting to pull back, forming pockets. The main cause of recession is gum disease – in other words, a bacterial infection that destroys the gum tissue. You may develop gum disease if you fail to brush and floss your teeth correctly, allowing harmful bacteria and food particles to accumulate and form plaque. If plaque isn’t removed in time, your oral health will suffer.

It should be noted that sometimes gum recession can be a side effect of hormonal changes in women, or it might be a result of aggressive brushing. You won’t know for sure until you’ve been examined.

Should You Be Concerned About Gaps Underneath Your Dental Crowns?

Whenever you notice signs that your gums have started to recede, you should call your dentist in Boonsville immediately to figure out why. If it is a result of gum disease, you might be at risk for tooth loss as well as other health problems as time passes. You should especially be concerned if the pockets are deep enough to regularly trap food, as these spaces tend to be especially vulnerable to further bacterial infection.

So What Can You Do About the Gaps Underneath Your Crown?

Obviously, any gum disease causing your gums to recede will need to be addressed through scaling, root planing, and other periodontal services; other health issues will need to be identified and treated as well. As for the damage that has already been done, your dentist will most likely need to create a new crown in order to cover the entire tooth. Afterwards, you can make improvements to your oral hygiene routine in order to avoid such problems in the future.

A gap underneath your crown can be distracting and inconvenient; it’s best not to live with the problem for too long if you can help. Call your dentist today if you have any reason to think you might need a new restoration to protect your smile.

About the Author

Dr. Joseph Kelly is proud to have purchased Great Impression Dental from Dr. Dooley and has so far loved the opportunity to help families in Boonville smile.  The crowns he offers are beautifully designed and precisely fitted to match each individual’s grin. To schedule an appointment to have your crown examined, visit his website or call (660) 882-7522.