Apart from implants and dentures, either complete, or partial ones, dental crowns are used as an option to replace a missing or extracted tooth or teeth. Also, it is an option for a better look of the existing teeth.

The dental crown is an artificial cover that is placed on the rest of the prepared tooth, strengthening it and giving it the appearance of a natural tooth. It is sometimes known as a cap.

It is ideal for repairing a broken tooth, a tooth that is weakened due to decay and requires extensive repairs. It is also used for several other reasons such as:

• The dental filling has a different color from your natural teeth color and you wish to correct that,
• You have done your canal treatment and now you want it to be covered by a crown,
• Your bridge or denture will be better fixed if you have crowns.

A weak crown can easily sink into the gums. Thus, the support has to be made of stainless steel and placed directly into the canal/tooth root to secure the crown. There is also a common support, which is made by the dental technician so that it matches the canal in which it will be placed.

The support is placed in the canal by cementing process and it is therefore ready to have the crown attached to it. If the tooth, whose canal has been filled, is not completely broken, it is possible to re-make it by using filling materials. This tooth looks exactly the same as the natural teeth. The dental crown can be made of different materials depending on the technology to make it better.

These are some of the most popular options:

• porcelain bound to metal - most of the crowns are made in this way where the base is made of precious metals and porcelain is applied to the metals in layers
• all ceramic crowns - this modern technology does not contain metals. It provides the power of the dental crown with metal and the appearance of porcelain, and because of this reason it can be used for any teeth
• gold crowns - gold is the oldest material used for filling making. Today it is used together with other materials in order to increase the strength of the crown and the colors of these crowns are either white or gold

Preparation

In order to have the crown in placed, your dentist must first prepare your tooth so that it has an ideal shape that fits the crown. This means that the external part of your tooth has to be removed and the thickness depends on the crown prepared. Once the tooth is shaped, the dentist needs to test the impression by having a trial experiment using a tooth from the opposite jaw to define the way you bite. The results and the color of your tooth will be given too the dental technician to prepare the crown.

While waiting for the actual crown to be ready, your dentist usually will prepare a temporary crown so that you can use your teeth. The color may not suit your natural teeth but it is just a temporary one while preparing your actual crown.

Making Dental Crowns

When the dentist is satisfied with the new crown on your jaw, he/she will then attach the crown to your jaw line with either cement or other fixative. You will need at least two visits to the dentist; the first for preparation, determination of prints and colors and testing of temporary crown while the second visit for the final fixing of your crown. Usually it is scheduled one to two weeks between the two dental appointments.

Preparation of the new tooth is not painful and local anesthetic is usually sufficient. It is very similar to the process of tooth filling. If the tooth does not have the nerve then there is no need for local anesthesia.

It is important for the dentist to make sure that the crown is not visible since it is designed specifically for your teeth. The color of the surrounding teeth is determined as well so that the crown looks more natural and more similar to the surrounding teeth.

Cementing Dental Crowns into place

Since the shape of the crown might be slightly different from the shape of your original tooth, the crown might need to be fixed to adjust to your way of biting. For the first few weeks, you might feel slightly uncomfortable but it is normal as you need time to get use to the new crown.

Lastly, the most important thing is how long does this crown may last? Well, it depends on how you take care of it. The crown alone will not start to decay but this process can occur along the edge with its adjacent tooth. Therefore, it is vital to clean your crown daily and ensure its hygiene all the time. You can always consult your dentist to check on the condition of your crown from time to time.

Materials we use for Dental Crowns