Crowns

What is a crown?

A crown ("cap") is a tooth-like covering placed over a carefully prepared pre-existing tooth. Crowns serve many functions, such as to strengthen, restore or improve the appearance of your natural tooth. For example, a crown can support the tooth when there is no longer sufficient tooth structure left to place a filling. Crowns may also be used to protect the structure of a tooth that is fractured or broken, and can be attached to bridges or dentures.

Before Anterior Crowns	After Anterior Crowns

The Full Protective Crown

The protective full coverage crown is the optimal restorative treatment for the extensively decayed, heavily restored or fractured tooth. This type of restoration serves to cover the tooth, thus dispersing the biting forces over the entire surface of the tooth and providing protection against further crumbling, decay and fracture.

In addition to its function as a protective restoration, the full crown will restore the normal bite and natural shape to the top of the tooth. This will aid in preserving the health of the supporting bone and gum tissue.

Before Anterior Crowns	After Anterior Crowns

FULL CAST METAL CROWN - The entire crown is made from several types of special alloy metals. Barring its esthetic limitations, it is considered an extremely durable full crown restoration. The color may vary from silver to yellow.

PORCELAIN FUSED TO METAL CROWN -This crown has a special gold substructure to which is fused tooth-colored ceramic porcelain. This veneering process provides a very esthetic, durable, glass-like surface which has a very minimal chance of chipping.

ALL CERAMIC BONDED CROWN - These ceramic restorations are made of only ceramic materials with no metal in the base. They are bonded to existing tooth structure with specialized cements. The exceptionally high forces placed on restorations in the back of the mouth may limit the use of this type of restoration to the anterior teeth.

There are times when the tooth to be restored is so broken down that a crown cannot be placed without one or both of the following treatments:

To ensure that there is adequate structure to retain the crown, we may have to place a composite reinforcing restoration into the base of the tooth. This is called a crown build-up. In the case of a root canal treated tooth, a high strength reinforcing post may also have to be placed in the root canal space. It is not always possible to predict the necessity for this service.

The interior of all teeth contains the dental pulp or nerve tissue. It is not unusual for a tooth with a history of decay, extensive fillings and/or fractures to develop a condition called pulp inflammation. Fortunately, in most cases, this problem does not require the loss of the tooth. Instead, a special treatment, root canal treatment, would be required if the tooth develops this condition.

A last word of prevention: Teeth with crowns or large fillings are not immune to decay or gum disease. Good oral hygiene and regular appointments with the dental hygienist are very important to prevent future problems.

The crown is a very stable long-term restoration for a tooth that needs additional support.

Before Provisional Crowns	After Provisional Crowns