Dentists often use crowns to protect and restore teeth and many people will have at least one crown in their mouth.
So, when might you need a crown?
• To protect a tooth that has been damaged by trauma
• To protect a tooth that has been damaged by decay and infection
• As the final part of root canal treatment
• As part of a dental bridge
• To restore a dental implant
What Is a Crown?
A crown is sometimes called a cap and it covers up the entire tooth so you cannot see any of its natural structure. This offers the tooth underneath complete protection and the crown will create a tight seal around the base of the tooth and is cemented in place. Once in position, bacteria will be unable to get into the tooth, so the crown will prevent any further damage, decay, and infection.
Crowns are made to closely mimic the appearance of natural teeth. It will improve on its natural look, creating a more cosmetically perfect tooth that will blend in perfectly with your remaining teeth. Crowns restore strength and structure to the damaged tooth, prolonging its natural life. If a crown is used to support a bridge, then the tooth underneath is what is called an abutment tooth.
It will need to be carefully shaped for the crown which is attached to the replacement tooth or teeth. A crown that is used to restore a dental implant is made to fit exactly over the abutment which is attached to the implant post.
What Is the Procedure for Having a Crown?
A local anesthetic is used to keep you comfortable before your crown is carefully prepared. It’s necessary to remove all damaged material and to correctly shape the tooth, so your crown will look and feel great. Next, an impression is taken of the prepared crown. It will be used in the on-site dental laboratory to make your new restoration, a process that generally takes a couple of weeks.
During this time your crown will be protected with a temporary crown, allowing you to eat and talk normally. You will need to take a bit of extra care with your temporary crown. It is not designed to last that long and it’s best to avoid very hard or sticky foods that could easily damage it or pull it off the tooth. This is because a temporary crown will only be held in place with temporary cement. Or, you could opt for 1-hour crowns offered to us now by advanced dentistry.
What Are the Different Types of Crowns?
Crowns can be made from many different types of materials. Stainless steel crowns are generally prefabricated and are used as a temporary restoration. A stainless steel crown will protect the tooth. A permanent crown is being made from another material and obviously will not provide the very best aesthetic results. Dentists also use prefabricated stainless steel crowns to protect children’s milk teeth.
This can be a good and economical way to protect the tooth until it is shed naturally to make room for the adult tooth. Dentists can also make crowns from composite resin, a tooth-colored material that is reasonably hard wearing. This tends to be another temporary solution. Composite resin crowns are quite soft and can fracture quite easily compared to porcelain or metal crowns.
If you do have any sort of temporary crown, it’s vital to return to your dental office to have a permanent crown. This is because it will be stronger, will fit better and will offer far greater protection to your tooth.
Dental crowns can also be made from a number of different metal alloys that include gold alloys or palladium or nickel chrome-based alloys. Metal crowns can be a good solution for restoring back teeth where there is very little room.
This is also a good solution if a person may bite their teeth together quite heavily. For example, a gold crown will be relatively soft and will not harm the opposing teeth while protecting the tooth underneath.
Sometimes of metal crowns are covered up with porcelain, providing reasonably good aesthetic results. If you want the very best aesthetics, you will want to think about having an all-ceramic crown. This is a crown that contains no metal whatsoever. This is advantageous for its appearance as the light will be able to pass through without hitting metal, replicating the kind of translucency that is seen in natural teeth.
All-ceramic crowns can be made in a number of different ways. They can be pressed under high vacuum. This is from a single ingot of ceramic material that has been melted at high heat or frequently an all-ceramic crown will have a zirconia base. Zirconia is an amazingly strong material. It is white or tooth colored and it is milled before being sintered or heat-treated at a very high temperature.
The final result is a crown that is virtually unbreakable and which can then be covered up with a special kind of ceramic, creating a lifelike appearance.
Getting a New Crown While You Wait
Dentists can also make high-quality all-ceramic crowns while you wait using the latest 3-D CAD cam technology. With this technology, your tooth is scanned using a special camera. The information is sent to a computer where your crown will be custom designed by one of our dentists. The design is then sent to our on-site milling machine where the crown can be milled from a solid block of pure porcelain, all while you wait.
Once milled, the crown is hand finished in your dentist’s dental laboratory. It is then characterized and stained before being glazed and polished so that the final result is a precision fit the crown. This is so that it can be bonded permanently in place.
Dentists find this solution can be an excellent option for most situations. It can be particularly good for anyone with a strong gag reflex or who hates having dental impressions. It’s also a nice option if you happen to break a crown and need a new one as quickly as possible.
Looking after Your New Crown
Regardless of the type of crown, you do need to look after it to prolong its life. Your crown will not require any special treatment as it simply needs to be brushed and flossed just like a natural tooth.
Regular checkups and cleanings are also important for maintaining your crown. Your dentist will keep a close eye on all types of dental restorations as none last forever and all need renewing periodically. Typically, a crown may last up to 10 years or even longer, depending on how well you look after it.
