What are dental crowns?

Dental crowns (or you may have heard it with the less scientific name of dental caps or teeth caps) are fixed prosthetic covers placed onto existing damaged teeth or onto dental implants. With dental crowns, we can protect and support the functionality of the existing tooth and at the same time maintain or improve its aesthetics, its shape, its alignment and its appearance above the gum line.

 

When do you need a dental crown?

A dental crown will be the best option to protect and preserve your existing decayed tooth and avoid the possibility of a tooth extraction.

 

 If you have a weak damaged tooth

• If you have an already cracked or broken tooth

• If you have a large cavity and the tooth can’t support a filling.

• If you have had a root canal treatment

• If you want to improve the appearance of a tooth

 

What materials are dental crowns made of?

 

Dental Crowns are made of

• All ceramic

• Porcelain fused to metal

• Base metal alloys

• Gold alloys

 

For choosing the materials of your dental crowns we are going to take into consideration the position of the tooth, the durability of the material, the cost and of course your appearance. For instance, all ceramic crowns have a natural appearance and may be ideal to be placed onto a front tooth but have less durability. A dental crown made of porcelain fused to metal is stronger and sturdier because it is connected to a metal structure.