Dental Crowns

Dental crowns, sometimes called ìcaps,î are used to cover and restore a tooth. When a tooth has broken or when a tooth has too much decay for a simple filling, a dental crown may be needed. Your dentist can place a dental crown on your teeth and shape it to look and function like your original tooth before the damage occurred.

 

Placing Dental Crowns

Your dentist will be able to tell you if your tooth requires a dental crown to be placed. In preparation for a dental crown, the tooth must be prepared by reducing the size so that your new dental crown will fit properly.

 

To ensure the new dental crowns fit properly, your dentist will make an impression of your teeth and gums before sending the impression to a lab. The lab will create your dental crowns based on the impression. In the meantime, your dentist will place temporary dental crowns to protect the teeth until the permanent dental crowns are completed and placed.

 

Once the completed crowns are ready to be placed, your dentist will remove each temporary dental crown and replace it with the permanent crown.

 

Dental Crown Look and Durability

Dental crowns are made out of strong materials and will last for a number of years. Regular dental appointments and sound dental hygiene will help maximize the longevity of your dental crowns. 

 

Your dentist makes an impression and fits each dental crown to match your bite and maintain the look-and-feel of your tooth. Many dental crowns are made of porcelain to provide an appearance similar to your natural teeth.  Because of the translucent characteristics of porcelain, a porcelain crown can be matched to look just like your original tooth. Many patients are unable to feel or see a difference in their porcelain crown compared to the original tooth.

 

Porcelain crowns are often recommended for front teeth that are more visible.  If you need a dental crown on a molar, an all porcelain crown may not be suitable due to the amount of pressure placed on the back teeth. An all metal dental crown or a metal fused with porcelain crown may be more appropriate for molars.