Dental Crowns

Dental crowns or "caps" as they are known, cover the top of a natural tooth that is structurally compromised by a crack or decay. Dental crowns are cemented into place, and enclose the tooth fully above the gum line. It acts like a shield for the tooth, giving it a completely new covering and protecting the natural tooth inside, making it harder to damage and less prone to decay. This can be done to avoid having to remove or lose the tooth, or to strengthen a tooth that is needed to become an abutment tooth for removable partial dentures. Crowns can also be used to fix broken or cracked teeth, the crown holding it together and protecting it. It can also be used to change the appearance and function of those teeth that have been discoloured and badly worn down. They can also act as a large fillings, saving a tooth from needing to be pulled out in cases where there is more decay than tooth left. Crowns can also change the shape of a badly shaped tooth, and make it easier to function. Dental crowns can also help disguise dental implants and dental crown bridges can support dental bridges and keep them firmly in place.

Dental Crowns Types

Dental crowns can be made of different materials depending on the aesthetic and dental need of the individual. Dental crowns made of metal usually include base-metal alloy like nickel or chromium or even noble metal alloys such as gold, silver or platinum! The metal crowns have the advantage of being considered the longest lasting among dental crown materials. However, the appearance of the metals is not always to everyone's taste, and so they are usually used for molars positioned towards the back of the mouth, where they are harder to see.

All-resin dental crowns have the advantage of being the cheapest crown option, however they are more prone to cracking and wear down more easily than other crown options (aside from porcelain) such as metal crowns although resin is slightly more subtle than metal alloys in appearance, though not as much as porcelain.

All-porcelain or all-ceramic dental crowns are a great choice for front teeth as they blend in best with the natural colouring of the teeth out of any of the crown options. However, again, they are not as strong as metal based crowns, or as strong as the porcelain fused to metal crown hybrid. Porcelain/metal crowns closely resemble the colouring of the natural teeth thanks to the porcelain, and are strengthened by the metal underneath, but the unsightly metal can show through as gums recede or if the porcelain cracks.

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