A dental crown is used to rebuild a tooth that has substantially broken down by encasing the remaining healthy portion of the tooth with a prosthetic designed to replicate the original external surface of the damaged tooth. The reason for the failure of the original tooth may include dental decay, trauma or grinding when teeth are worn down over time. Crowns may also be used to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance for patients with mis-shapen or rotated teeth. Crowns can be made from metal such as gold or precious metal for strength or from porcelain or porcelain boded to metal which offer both tooth-like appearance and strength.
The preparation of a tooth for a crown involves the removal of the outer layer of the tooth (enamel) leaving just the dentin. The amount of tooth to be removed will depend on several factors including the condition of teeth, material used to fabricate the crown and desired aesthetics. Gold crowns are the strongest and will require the least amount of tooth removal. Porcelain crowns have the most aesthically-pleasing appearance. Crowns can be expected to last several years in normal circumstances but this is largely influenced by the oral hygiene of the patient.
Crowns are commonly placed on teeth that have been endodontically treated as they tend to be become more brittle after the nerve has been removed.
The traditional method for making a crown involves two stages. In the initial preparation stage, the outer surface of the tooth is removed and an impression of the remaining structure is prepared for the laboratory. The patient is provided with a temporary crown which is worn for two to three weeks. At the second visit , the temporary crown is removed and replaced by the laboratory-fabricated crown which is checked for fit, shade and occlusion (contact with teeth on the opposing teeth). The crown is permanently cemented in place, polished and adjusted to ensure the paitent can bite correctly.
We can offer a single visit crown service where the entire procedure from tooth preparation to final fitting can be accomplished in about 90 minutes.
