A dental crown wraps the visible portion of your tooth in ceramic to restore a tooth’s shape, size, and strength. The dentist will select a ceramic shade that blends beautifully with your other teeth. Once a dental crown is permanently bonded into place, with proper care and good oral hygiene, the life of a crown can range from 5 to 15 years.
A dental crown may be recommended by the dentist to:
- Restore and Protect a tooth that is worn, decayed, cracked, or broken
- Protect and Support a tooth after a very large filling has failed
- Protect and Support a tooth after root canal treatment
- Protect and Cover a dental implant
- Improve your smile by Covering, Re-shaping and Color Correcting teeth that are discolored or out of position
The dentist and Buffalo Prairie Dental will recommend the best type of crown for your needs based on the chewing placement and structure of the remaining tooth or implant that requires protection. Each type has its own characteristics and qualities:
- Full Porcelain/Ceramic
- Porcelain is attractive, strong, stable, and highly resistant to wear.
A porcelain crown provides the best natural color match to the rest of your teeth and is an excellent choice.
- Full Gold
- Gold offers strength and endurance. We rarely recommend a gold crown, but it is a viable option to those who want it. A gold crown may be recommended for back teeth where the forces of biting and chewing are the greatest. A metal crown rarely chips or breaks. In addition, it requires minimal removal of tooth structure.
Patient Experience
After a thorough exam of your teeth, gums and supporting bone structure, the dentist will discuss treatment options with you and answer your questions. If you elect to have a dental crown completed a dentist will then…
- Give you anesthetic to completely numb the area
- Prepare and shape the tooth to allow for the thickness of the crown so as to not alter your bite
- Take a mold of your tooth as well as the teeth around it so the lab can fabricate a crown that fits perfectly as well as bites correctly
- A temporary crown will be fabricated to cover and protect the tooth while the lab is fabricating the final crown
- The temporary crown will be removed at a second appointment at which time the final crown will be permanently bonded into place
