Dental Crowns For Restoration
A dental crown is a hollow cap that is placed over a damaged or decayed tooth to give it a natural, healthy appearance. The crown should protect the tooth and restore its function while also protecting it from further damage. Your dentist may also recommend dental crowns if you have cosmetic damage to your teeth such as stains or chips in order to restore the appearance.
The Different Types of Dental Crowns
Crowns can be made from a variety of dental materials, depending on the type of tooth and the location of the crown in your mouth.
Dental Crowns Made of Porcelain
With translucency and natural tooth colour matching, these materials should be the most lifelike on the market. They are, however, more prone to chipping and wear than other materials. As a result, they are only used in a small percentage of cases to replace teeth.
Composite Based Dental Crowns
Composite crowns are another material that closely resembles natural teeth in appearance. They are more resistant to chipping than porcelain, but they can easily wear down and stain.
Metal Dental Crowns
These are made of gold and should be quite strong. They should not wear down or stain like composite crowns, but they do not look natural, particularly on front teeth.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal Crowns
These crowns should look more natural than porcelain or composite crowns. They should be chip and stain-resistant, but the metal may show through due to their placement and construction.
The Process of Placing Dental Crowns
Typically the process of placing a dental crown requires two visits to your dentist's office. Your dentist should administer a local anesthetic during your first visit.
To make room for the crown, your damaged tooth will be filed down and an impression taken. This will be used to make your restoration because it will be custom-fitted to your tooth.
While you are waiting to be fitted with your permanent crown, your dentist will place a temporary crown to protect your tooth.
When are dental crowns the best solution?
Crowns aren't always the best option, and your dentist can help you figure out what is. However, the following issues are fairly common and almost always necessitate the use of a dental crown.
Best Situations for a Dental Crown
- Large cavities that can't be repaired with a dental filling
- To cover a tooth that has had a root canal
- To prevent weakened teeth from breaking
- To hold together a cracked tooth
- To restore a broken tooth
- To provide support to a dental bridge
- To conceal misshapen teeth
- To cover dental implants
- To disguise discoloured teeth that won't respond to teeth whitening