Crowns

Crowns

A Crown strengthens your existing, damaged tooth so as to preserve its functionality. Dental crowns are restorations that protect damaged, cracked or broken down teeth. They are also commonly known as caps (because a crown sits over your existing tooth, covering the entire outer surface).  Provided you go for regular check-ups and have a good oral hygiene program, and do not use your teeth as tools to open things or even grind your teeth a good quality dental crown can last 10-15 years.The reasons you would have a crown are; 

If your tooth has decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling or an inlay and maintain functionality.

If you grind your teeth and have a poor diet, acid erosion may reduce your teeth to a point where the only option available is to crown them.

If a large portion of your tooth has fractured and it cannot be built up using traditional composite bonding techniques.

If you have a large cavity and opt for the additional protection a crown offers to your tooth over a large composite filling or an inlay.

If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, a crown will be fitted to the abutment of the titanium implant.

If the tooth had a root canal treatment, a crown is often needed to strengthen the tooth.

For cosmetic reasons, to improve the aesthetics of your smile, you may opt for all porcelain or ceramic cosmetic crowns.

Materials used to make Crowns

Crowns are made from full gold, where as others are made from an alloy of metals fused to a porcelain outer shell. After time, crowns that are made from a combination of metal fused to porcelain can begin to show dark gum lines that are not aesthetically attractive. All-porcelain or -ceramic crowns are the best choice for a natural cosmetic look.