What Are Dental Crowns & How Do They Work?

In dentistry, a crown is the enamel-covered covering of a tooth. An artificial dental crown is used to prevent additional harm to a tooth's surface when it breaks, cracks, or fractures.

Dental crowns are tooth-colored, gold, silver, or metal caps that are cemented over broken teeth to restore their function, form, and appearance. Metals, ceramics, porcelain, and composite resin are used to make them.

A dental crown is most typically used following a root canal or dental implant operation.

Custom crowns are made by dental experts to match the color of a patient's natural teeth.

 

Dental Crowns: Advantages & Disadvantages

Crowns are a popular and successful dental repair.

They do, however, have advantages and disadvantages, much like any other dental procedure:

Pros:

• Improve your oral hygiene and smile
• Can be used to repair severely decayed or damaged teeth, as well as to protect teeth following a root canal or the insertion of dental implants
• Replace any fillings that are worn out or big
• Cost-effective
• Procedure is simple and quite painless
• There are five different types of materials to pick from to suit any budget, requirement, or lifestyle
• Recovery time is short
• With careful maintenance, it may live up to 15 to 30 years

Cons:

• Low chance of fracture
• Prior to installation, normal tooth structure must be permanently removed
• It will ultimately need to be replaced
• Crowns that aren't properly fitted might loosen and fall out
• There is a risk of fracture and injury
• After implantation, there's a higher chance of dental sensitivity (specific toothpaste can help reduce this)

 

Different Types Of Dental Crowns

Porcelain-Fused-To-Metal Crowns

A porcelain-metal composite is the most frequent restorative material for dental crowns and bridges.

When porcelain and metal are heated together, the porcelain chemically bonds to the metal's oxides, resulting in a long-lasting relationship.

Because they are supported by a metal framework, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are more durable than normal porcelain crowns. They also match the form, appearance, and function of your original teeth.

 

Crowns Made Of Metal & Gold

Metal crowns come in a variety of shapes and hues. They form a strong connection, are resistant to fractures, and do not wear away teeth.

Gold, copper, and other metals are commonly used in these crowns. Non-noble metals, which are exceptionally robust and corrosion-resistant, are used in several metal crowns.

Crowns need the removal of tooth structure before they can be placed. Crowns made of metal need the least amount of tooth removal, making them a more conservative alternative.

 

Crowns Made Of Stainless Steel (SSCs)

Only primary (baby) teeth are restored with stainless steel crowns. SSCs are used after pulpotomy or when traditional cavity fillings, like dental amalgam fillings, are at risk of failing.

 

Crowns That Are Cosmetic (Ceramic)

Porcelain is used to make ceramic crowns. Porcelain is used in dentistry to make tooth-colored dental materials, such as aesthetic crowns, that appear, feel, and function like genuine teeth.

Cosmetic crowns are used to repair the front teeth and mix in with the rest of your smile. They're tough, long-lasting, and don't chip or shatter easily.

"Zirconia," which is actually a metal, is the most frequent alternative to all-ceramic crowns.

 

Crowns Made Entirely Of Resin

Metal, ceramic, gold, and porcelain crowns are more costly than all-resin restorations.

 

Resin Crowns

Resin crowns, on the other hand, are seldom recommended by dentists since they are more prone to fractures, wear and strain, and do not last as long.

Resin is a thinner, more delicate material than metal or porcelain for dental restorations. Resin fillings are exclusively utilized on decaying baby teeth, not permanent teeth.

When Do You Need a Dental Crown?

One in every three individuals in the United States need tooth replacement.

Dental crowns are frequently used to repair the following:

• Crowns safeguard weak teeth, which are usually the result of extensive decay
• Crowns hold portions of fractured teeth together and restore their original structure, function, and appearance
• Crowns replace fractured or badly worn down teeth, which are often the result of bruxism (tooth grinding) or dental erosion
• Crowns are used to cover and support teeth that have extensive fillings and little residual tooth structure
• Tooth discolouration – tooth-colored crowns are frequently used to hide discolored teeth. Veneers or tooth whitening are two other alternatives

 

Dental implants

The crown is the final phase of a dental implant surgery. It takes a few months for implants (artificial tooth roots) to recover.

A dental implant is a prosthetic tooth that replaces an entire missing tooth owing to severe tooth decay, trauma, or periodontal disease.

 

Procedure For Implants

Drilling holes in the jawbone and inserting the implant (post) into the socket are done by a dentist. Implants have the form of a screw and are made of materials that connect to the bone naturally.

After many months of recuperation, the dentist installs an abutment. For a few months, a temporary cap is put on top of the post until the healing process is complete.

The only visible element of the implant is a dental crown that lies on top of the abutment (in lieu of the temporary cap).

Crowns are one-of-a-kind restorations that restore the form, appearance, and function of natural teeth.

Because dental implants do not rot, they endure longer than regular crowns. In healthy individuals who emphasize dental care, they should last a lifetime.

 

Root Canal Therapy

The crown is the final step in a root canal procedure (endodontic treatment).

Endodontic therapy repairs diseased dental pulp in the root of a damaged or destroyed tooth, avoiding extraction.

Because the tooth's root is repaired rather than replaced with an artificial root and abutment, the procedure differs from that of a dental implant.

 

Root Canal Treatment

An endodontist or general dentist cuts an incision in the natural crown of your tooth, removes the dental pulp using tiny devices, and installs a temporary filling on top of your tooth throughout the treatment.

Following treatment, you'll see your dentist to get the tooth rebuilt properly. A dental crown is the most frequent restorative therapy.

If the natural crown has enough good dental structure left, fillings are also utilized.

Dental Bridge Retainers (crown look-alikes) are anchors that go on each end of a dental bridge.

Traditional, cantilever, Maryland, and implant-supported bridges are among the four types of bridges offered.

 

Procedure For Building A Denal Bridge

Traditional bridges are made up of one or more false teeth (pontics) secured by crowns.

On both sides, they usually fill in the space between one or more natural teeth. Dental bridges are long-lasting and can even be used to replace molars.

Crowns are put on the abutment teeth, which are next to the missing tooth, in a bridge.

Crowns always cover conventional and cantilever bridges to sustain the force of chewing on the prosthetic tooth in between them.

 

Procedure & Aftercare For Dental Crowns

Following a root canal or dental implant treatment, a crown is implanted. The majority of dental crown treatments are completed in one day.

Many practices also employ CAD/CAM tools to make same-day crowns, obviating the need for a second appointment.

Foods to Stay Away From While Wearing a Temporary Crown
A temporary crown will be fitted to safeguard the abutment tooth while your permanent crown is being prepared.

Avoid foods that might dislodge or damage the temporary crown during this transition time, such as:

• Candy and gum, for example, are chewy or sticky foods
• Chips, bagels, and nuts are examples of hard foods
• You should also avoid flossing with a temporary crown and chew on the other side of your mouth