What is Dental Crowns, also commonly referred to as a tooth cap, is a tooth-shaped coverage that your dentist fixes over your teeth (the visible portion) to improve or restore its shape, structure, size and appearance. The dental crown replaces the upper part of the tooth (the visible part).
When the dental crown is fixed on a tooth that is still present, it is fixed by cementation directly on the tooth or on a pivot (inlay core, pinlay) when it is too dilapidated. When fixed on a dental implant it will be screwed. The dental crown may be permanent or temporary (when gum or pulp care is to be performed and a treatment in several stages is necessary). The placement of a dental crown can have several objectives, either for the restoration of a damaged tooth is for purely aesthetic reasons.
When is a dental crown needed?
Here are a few circumstances that could occur where we, at Luxe Dental will recommend that you get a dental crown instead of getting a dental filling or any other dental treatment:
• A badly decayed tooth
If a tooth is decayed to the point where it is affecting neighbouring teeth, it is time to consider a cap that can prevent the spread of the bacteria to other areas of the mouth.
• A large filling
A crown can help strengthen a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining to hold the filling. In some cases, older fillings are too large and therefore not secure. In this case, we should consider a dental crown, as a replacement to the filling that would look better and also provide more strength to the tooth itself.
• A broken or chipped tooth
In this case, we strongly advise to get a crown. Once a tooth is chipped, cracked, or broken, it is important to get it fixed to ensure that an infection can’t set in. Since the tooth is already damaged, we want to minimize the risk and prevent further breakage.
What Materials to choose for dental crowns?
The materials used for a dental crown depend on the available budget, the function, and the tooth on which the crown is placed. For the front teeth, Press Emax (all ceramic) will be recommended, while for molars and premolars, zirconia will be the best solution. Ceramic metal is the least expensive variant but has many disadvantages. (Discoloration of the gums, electro-conductive, weight, aesthetics…) Resin or acrylic are used for provisional or temporary dental crowns.
What clinic should I choose for Dental Crowns?
The laying of a dental crown is an act without major risk, however it requires good performance in order to guarantee the durability of the tooth in the future. Indeed, in case of poor fixation or poor realization of the dental crown, the tooth can be permanently damaged. For this reason, at Luxe Dental we help patients carry out the tests and measurements necessary for a perfect dental crown.