Dental Crown

Dental crowns are prosthetic tooth covers, also known as caps. Dentists cover a compromised tooth with a crown to strengthen and restore its original size, shape, or color. Crowns function just as a natural tooth would. Crowns are available in various materials like ceramic, porcelain-veneered zirconia, gold alloy, silver alloy. With proper dental care and typical oral hygiene, crowns can last a lifetime.

Post root canal, a tooth tends to become brittle and is more likely to fracture, so dentists will install a crown to protect the tooth.

To place a crown, your dentist must reduce 1-2 mm of the tooth to make room for it. Your dentist will then use a thread or a laser to push the gum down around the tooth to take an impression of the tooth. The dentist sends the dental impression to a lab where the crown is made. During that time, you will have a temporary crown. Temporary crowns are usually made of plastic and are placed in your dentist's office on the day of your visit. Temporary crowns are not meant to last. If a temporary crown is left in the mouth, the cement eventually washes out, and the tooth can decay. At a second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and test the permanent one. Sometimes crowns need additional polishing, glaze, or some other adjustment before they are placed. Once the crown is ready, it's cemented to your tooth.

If your smile is in need of a makeover, crowns can provide predictable results. Crowns can give an unattractive tooth back its beautiful shape and color. For smaller or worn down teeth, a crown can restore the natural size of the old tooth. A crown can replace either part of or the tooth's entire structure. For procedures requiring only the areas visible from the outside, a veneer may be an alternative option.

These are very aesthetic, bonded crowns. They are mostly used for front teeth because they are the most natural looking type of crown and are often used in "cosmetic" dentistry.

There are many types, but they all have a common feature - no metal. They can occasionally break, but dental technology has advanced far enough to make them quite strong.

The most common type of crown and has a proven track record. PFM crowns are fairly aesthetic and they look like real teeth. However, the margins or borders may appear dark because PFM crowns have a metal substructure with layers of porcelain fired over the substructure. Porcelain is very hard, much harder than natural enamel and may cause excessive wear of the enamel of opposing teeth. Porcelain may break with extreme biting forces.

With today's advances in dentistry, there are several options when choosing a type of crown:

• Porcelain outer surface with a metal base crown
• Pure porcelain or composite crown
• All metal crown, which is usually gold

They all differ in durability, strength, appearance and cost.