DENTAL CROWNS

Dental Crown Types and Procedures

A dental porcelain crown is a tooth-shaped cap placed over a tooth to cover it and restore its size, shape, and strength while improving its appearance and function. Placing a crown on a tooth is a common dental procedure to restore teeth that have been weakened by decay, fracture, cracks or excessive wear.

At The Smile Suite, we typically do not use metal in the crowns and often opt for a zirconia crown due to its biocompatibility, strength and esthetics

When are Porcelain Crowns Needed

We at The Smile Suite recommend porcelain crowns to our adult patients when they need to:

Protect a tooth from decay or from breaking
Hold together a cracked tooth
Restore a tooth that's been broken, damaged, or worn down
Cover and hold together a tooth with a large filling
Hold a tooth bridge in place
Cover a tooth that's misshapen or severely discolored
Cover a dental implant
Make a cosmetic modification
Protect a tooth that has had a root canal

We rarely recommend a crown for young children on their baby or primary teeth. However, the following situations may require it:

To save or salvage a damaged tooth due to decay that a dental filling can't support.
To protect a child's tooth that's at high risk for decay, especially for children that have difficulty maintaining daily oral hygiene.
To reduce the frequency of applying general anesthesia to a child because of age, behavior, or medical history.
We recommend using a stainless steel tooth crown in unique cases with children.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Two Types of Crowns

1. PERMANENT CROWNS

These dental crowns can be made from various materials: metals like gold or alloys, ceramic, resin crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or stainless steel.

Prefabricated dental crowns made from stainless steel are used on a patient's permanent teeth as a temporary measure. Stainless steel crowns protect the teeth or dental fillings while waiting for the permanent crown to be made.

For children, we commonly use a stainless steel tooth crown to cover a primary or baby tooth that has been prepared to fit the dental cap. This crown covers the child's entire tooth to protect it from further damage and decay. When the child's primary tooth comes out, the crown also comes off naturally, allowing the permanent tooth to grow in.
As a general rule, we use stainless steel crowns for children's teeth since doing so requires fewer dental visits. Also, they are more cost-effective than custom-made dental crowns and the necessary prophylactic oral care to protect the child's exposed tooth.

Metals used in a tooth crown include alloys. This type of crown has a high content of base-metal alloys, gold, or platinum. Metal crowns resist biting forces and will not break with chewing; they also last longer. Crowns made of metal rarely break or chip. With their metallic color, metal crowns are perfect and highly recommended for out-of-sight molars.

Crowns can also be made from porcelain-fused-to-metal. The colors of these crowns can be matched to the adjacent teeth. Similar to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns almost look like your natural teeth. However, the metal part of the crown underlying the porcelain can reflect as a dark line on the gum line, especially if the gums have receded. Another downside is that it also wears out the opposing teeth. We only recommend these crowns for your front or back teeth and long bridges since the metal is necessary for additional strength.

All-resin crowns cost less compared to other types of crowns. However, they are prone to wear and tear, and can even fracture easily when compared to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

All-porcelain or all-ceramic crowns are the best for matching your natural tooth color. Also, they are highly suitable for patients that are allergic to metal. We make temporary crowns using a resin based material.
2. TEMPORARY

These crowns are used as temporary restorations while the permanent ones are still being made. Temporary crowns are crafted inside our dental office, while most permanent crowns are constructed inside a dental lab. Usually, we make temporary crowns using resin-based materials.

What Steps Are Involved in Preparing a Tooth for a Crown?

Preparing your tooth for a dental crown requires at least two dental visits.

1. THE FIRST VISIT INVOLVES A DENTAL EXAMINATION AND TOOTH PREPARATION.

During your first visit, we X-ray your tooth to check its roots and the surrounding bone structure.

If your tooth's decay is extensive, at risk of infection, or is injured to the nerve, we recommend a root canal treatment to save the tooth before considering a crown. We always hope to prevent a tooth extraction, if possible.

Before making your dental crown, we apply a local anesthetic to numb your tooth and its surrounding gum tissues. Next, the affected tooth is reshaped, including the chewing surfaces and the sides, to make it ready for the crown. If a large area of your tooth is to be taken out because it's damaged or decayed, we will use a dental filling material to "build it up" and support the crown.

After we reshape your tooth, we use a putty-like material to create an impression of it so we can design your crown. We also take an impression of the teeth beside it to ensure it does not affect your normal bite. We then send the impressions to a dental lab where your crown will be made.

We will make you a temporary crown to cover and protect the affected tooth while the permanent crown is being created in the laboratory. Usually, the permanent crown is sent back to our dental office after two or three weeks.

If you choose a porcelain crown, we will select the color shade that closely matches its neighboring teeth.
2. THE SECOND VISIT INVOLVES PLACING THE PERMANENT TOOTH CROWN

We remove your temporary crown and see if the permanent crown fits like a glove. We also check the permanent crown's actual color and see if it matches closely with your neighboring teeth. Once all is acceptable, we cement the permanent crown. Often times, this visit can be done without anesthetic.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Caring for Temporary Dental Crowns

Since temporary dental crowns are not permanent, there are some necessary precautions to observe until your permanent crown is completed.

You should avoid eating chewy or sticky foods like chewing gum or caramel. They have the potential of grabbing or pulling off your temporary tooth crown.
Avoid chewing on the side where the temporary crown is. Chew most on the opposite side of your mouth.
Avoid munching on hard foods like nuts or seeds for the time being. This way, you avoid the risk of your temporary crown getting dislodged or broken.
Rather than lifting out your dental floss, sliding is better when you clean your teeth to prevent the temporary crown from pulling off.

Common FAQs for Dental Crowns

Do you need special care for your crowned tooth?

The average lifespan of dental crowns is about five to 15 years. The durability depends on several factors including brushing, flossing, wearing a nightguard, and getting routine dental check ups and cleanings. Some practices should be avoided, such as biting fingernails, clenching or grinding the teeth, or even chewing ice.

DO YOU NEED SPECIAL CARE FOR YOUR CROWNED TOOTH?

No. Your crowned tooth does not need a particular dental care routine. We strongly recommend that you continue to maintain your daily oral health practices, such as brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash twice a day.