Dentistry has come a long way from the old days of plain metal crowns. While they still have many useful applications, these days we are able to offer a wide variety of options to suit your individual case. Whether you are after durability, strength or the most natural aesthetic appearance, we can custom manufacture a crown to fit seamlessly into your smile. Crowns offer incredible practicality in their use. One of their most important functions is allowing patients to repair, and therefore keep, their natural teeth. They can also create the most amazing cosmetic transformations.
Crowns
What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a custom-made or preformed or predesigned permanent restoration. They look like a hollow, tooth-shaped “cap”, which is placed over a prepared natural tooth.
When cemented into place, crowns completely cover the entire visible portion of the tooth that lies at and above the gum line thus protecting the tooth from any further damage.
There are several ways to classify dental crowns and based on the type of the crown placed the appearance will differ.
Why is a dental crown needed?
“The main purpose of a crown is to restore strength, functionality, shape and size to a tooth, and to improve its appearance.”
Situations where a crown may be needed include:
- After a root canal therapy or any pulpal therapy for tooth coverage and protection.
- To protect a tooth that has become weakened (for example by decay) or cracked, by holding it together and preventing it from breaking.
- To replace an old, broken or failing tooth filling.
- To restore a tooth that has already broken.
- To restore length on worn-down teeth (for example from grinding).
- To cover and support a tooth that has a large filling if there isn’t much natural tooth structure left.
- To make a cosmetic modification such as closing spaces between teeth, or reshaping or rotating teeth.
- Crowns are used to hold dental bridges in place.
- A crown is used to cover a dental implant.
- A crown is recommended to restore strength to any tooth that has undergone root canal therapy.
What types of crowns are available?
Although there are 5 to 6 different types of crowns used in adults, in children the two most commonly used types of crowns are:
- Zirconia crowns
- Stainless steel crowns
What are the differences between Zirconia and Stainless steel crowns?
Zirconia Crowns
- Zirconia crowns are computer designed and milled from a single uniform block on a CAD/CAM machine made of Zirconia.
- The advantage of these is that they are extremely hard.
- Comressive strength of 900 MPa.
- Long lasting.
- Don’t require much tooth structure to be removed (compared to most ceramic crowns).
- The material is very strong in thin sections.
- Provides excellent aesthetics and have great light reflective properties.
Stainless Steel Crowns
- They are preformed metal crowns made of Stainless steel alloy material.
- They are hand enough for chewing and other functions.
- Compressive strength of 420 MPa.
- They are long lasting with some basic maintenance needs.
- Minimal tooth structure to be removed.
- More cost-effective option.
- Aestherically unpleasant.
- The material is strong in thin sections.
If you are interested in how a crown may be able to benefit your smile, contact us for a consultation.