Dental crowns give weakend teeth a second life – natural-lookingwith strong function
Porcelain crowns can save decayed teeth, improve oral function and significantly improve appearance of your smile. Book online with one of our cosmetic dentists for quality dental crowns.
Dental Crowns Strengthen Teeth
What are Dental Crowns?
Crowns are prosthetic tooth-shaped porcelain caps that change the colour and shape of your teeth. They are used to fix a broken or decayed tooth, retaining as much of your natural tooth as possible. The therapeutic purpose of crowns is to rebuild and strengthen your teeth to restore oral function and avoid further infection or damage.
Crowns can also be used to change the shape of a tooth, hold a dental bridge in place, or cover an implant. These dental caps are commonly used to replace a tooth after root canal treatment. Crowns can be made with porcelain and those replacing more hard-wearing teeth can be made with stronger materials such as porcelain-fused-to-metal or gold.
Teeth Capping Options
Natural Looking Porcelain Crowns
Dental crowns made from porcelain can significantly improve the appearance of your teeth and are therefore the most popular type of crown used for teeth restorations. Porcelain teeth are colour-matched and designed to blend with the shape and size of your other teeth. They are biocompatible, meaning they are free of metal, and toxin free. They are not as strong as metal crowns, but can last a long time if properly cared for.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal Crowns
Porcelain fused-to-metal crowns provide a balance between strength and aesthetics. The porcelain-coated cap displays the natural-looking tooth and the metal structure provides extra strength to the tooth. The disadvantage of porcelain fused to metal crowns is that they may form a dark line at the gum line over time.
Gold Crowns
Gold crowns are made from a combination of metal to provide strength and durability. They are generally used for back teeth restorations as they are long-lasting and require less of the tooth to be removed. Metal crown tooth restorations are less popular due to their less attractive dental aesthetics. However, patients with untreated bruxism, commonly known as teeth grinding, or those who clench their jaw would be advised to opt for gold crowns.
Which Crown is Right For Me?
Crowns made from porcelain provide natural-looking restoration and are great for improving the appearance of your front teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns provide a balance between strength and aesthetics and provide a great solution for more hard-wearing restorations such as molars.
Dental Crown FAQs
Dental crowns provide an effective solution to a range of dental problems.
- Attach a bridge
- Cover a dental implant
- Improve the appearance of a tooth by changing its shape or color
- Protect a tooth after root canal treatment
- Protect a weak tooth from fracturing
- Replace a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining
- Restore a fractured tooth
A dental crown procedure requires two visits to the dentist.
The first appointment – fitting a temporary crown
During the first appointment your dentist will examine and prepare the tooth that needs a crown. The tooth will be trimmed and an impression will be taken of the tooth and surrounding teeth. A temporary crown will then be fitted to protect your tooth. Your tooth colour will be matched to your other teeth. It is therefor advisable to have your teeth professionally cleaned before making porcelain crowns. The dentist will send the colour-code and teeth impression to a specialised dental technician who will accurately match the shape, size and colour of the tooth to your other teeth.
The second appointment – fitting the permanent crown
Your dentist will administer a local anaesthetic to numb the area before fitting the new the crown. Once the gum has been numbed the temporary crown will be removed and the tooth or implant will be cleaned and prepared. The new crown will then be fitted to the tooth or implant. Dental crowns are attached to teeth using dental cement. The dentist will check your bite and make any necessary adjustments to the shape of the crown to ensure the the crown meets the opposite tooth comfortably.
- 6 Month routine dental checkups, professional cleaning and daily oral care will protect the underlying tooth and gum.
- Pay extra attention to the crown itself when brushing or flossing.
- Avoid using your teeth to open packages.
- Don’t bite into hard or very sticky foods.
- Patients who clench or grind their teeth should wear custom-made mouthguards during sleep.
Temporary crowns are not strong and may occasionally break or come off. If this should happen, please call our office immediately and bring your crown with you so that we can replace it.
- Avoid chewing gum, hard or sticky foods
- Brush and floss gently and with caution
- Floss by coming down through the teeth and draw the floss out from the side
Porcelain and porcelain fused to metal crowns can last around 15 years with proper care. Some have been known to last up to 25 years. Metal crowns could last the lifetime of an adult tooth.
Fitting a crown is not a painful experience and our dentists are renowned for their pain-free dental care. Together with the use of anesthetic and sedation, our dentist will take care to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Occasionally people feel sensitivity with either the temporary or permanent crown, this is usually mild and short-lived. The benefits of getting a crown far outweigh this temporary discomfort.
The main difference between these types of dental restorations is that a crown covers the entire tooth and a veneer covers only the front of your tooth. Crowns are necessary for more damaged teeth and
dental veneers can be used to improve the appearance of healthy teeth.