Dental Crowns

To restore a tooth's size and shape, as well as improving its appearance and strength, a dental crown, which is a "cap" that is tooth-shaped, is used. It is placed and cemented over the tooth, completely encasing the entire visible part of the tooth which is above the gum line.

Types of dental crowns

There are a number of different materials that are used in the making of permanent crowns. These include metal, resin, ceramic and porcelain fused to metal. With metal crowns, they can be be made from gold alloys, base metal alloys like nickel, or other alloys like palladium. These metal crowns are the most durable, being able to withstand biting and chewing forces, and are also the most rare to chip or break. However, the outstanding metallic shine and color make them not very suitable for the "in-sight" teeth, with common uses being on the out-of-sight molars.

The porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, on the other hand, can be color matched with the teeth adjacent to them. This makes them to have a common use for the front and back teeth. The downside is that the porcelain part easily chips and breaks off, making them to wear off quite fast, compared to the other types of dental crowns. The all resin crowns wear down with time, and are more susceptible to fractures. However, they are the less expensive type. If you are allergic to metal, the ceramic crowns, which give the best natural color match, are the best choice, and more so for the front teeth.

Why use dental crowns?

A person may need to use a dental crown if they want to hold together parts of a cracked tooth, or to protect a weak tooth. You may also need them to restore an already severed or broken tooth, or to hold a dental bridge in place. If a tooth has a large filling, you may need a crown to support and cover it. Finally, a person who has discolored teeth, or teeth that have bad shape, may use dental crowns to cover them.