What are dental crowns?

Dental crowns are restorations that protect damaged, cracked or broken down teeth.  A crown strengthens the existing, damaged tooth so as to preserve its functionality.  Dental crowns are also commonly known as caps because a crown sits over the existing tooth, covering the entire outer surface.

Do I need crowns?

• If the tooth has undergone significant decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling or any inlay and maintain functionality.
• If a large portion of the tooth has fractured and it cannot be built up using traditional composite bonding techniques.
• If the tooth is having a large cavity then option of a crown offers an additional protection over a large composite filling or an inlay.
• If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, a crown has to be fitted to the abutment of the titanium implant.
• A Crown is often needed to strengthen the tooth following root canal treatment.
• To improve the esthetics of the smile, one may opt for all-porcelain cosmetic crowns.

Crowns should not be the first choice just to improve the esthetics of the teeth, because a dentist needs to grind away a significant portion of the original tooth. Less invasive alternative include veneers or dental bonding.  Crowns are required when the strength of the tooth supporting the restoration is compromised, since veneers and dental bonding restorations are only as strong as the supporting tooth.

Materials used for crowns.

Some crowns are made from full gold, where as others are made from an alloy of metals fused to a porcelain outer shell.  All-porcelain or ceramic crowns are the best choice for a natural cosmetic look.  There are many different brands and types of porcelain crowns with different quality of the materials.

Procedure of crown fitting.

Dentist will prepare the tooth for crowning by cleaning the tooth, removing any decay and reshaping it, using a burr under local anesthesia.  The shape of the prepared tooth is usually tapered to allow the crown sit comfortably over the top of it.  Once the tooth is prepared, an impression (mould) of your tooth will be taken using the special dental putty.  This impression is sent to a dental laboratory, where the new crown is fabricated.  It usually takes between two to three weeks to custom fabricate the new crown.  A temporary crown or filling is done by the dentist to cover and protect the prepared teeth in the meantime.

On the second visit the dentist will remove the temporary crown or filling and roughen the outer surface of the prepared tooth with a special etching acid to give the dental cement a good surface to bond.  The dentist will fix the crown temporarily on your prepared tooth to see whether the crown is in order and if it is found in order, he will cement the crown firmly into place.

Dental crowns require the same level of care and attention as your natural teeth.  A high quality dental crown can last about 10 to 15 years provided good oral hygiene program and checkups are followed regularly.