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Crowns |
| Crowns are essentially a cap that goes over a tooth to add strength and durability. Crowns are placed after a large filling, root canal, or over a brittle tooth to prevent fractures. There are several types of crowns with different materials, everything from all porcelain, to porcelain fused to metal, to gold. Each material has benefits over another. The crown will usually take two office visits. First, the doctor will prepare the tooth by shaping it to receive the crown. An impression will be taken of the shaped tooth and will be sent off to the lab for precision crafting of your crown. A temporary crown will be made so you are as comfortable as possible until the new crown arrives. This also prevents movement of the tooth until the placement of the crown, an extremely important part of the procedure. When the crown arrives, the doctor will place the crown and make any adjustments necessary for your comfort. Allow our staff of experts help you understand which material is best for you, but here’s a brief comparison of the three most common materials: www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/materials/indirect.asp |
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| 1) Porcelain |
| Generally used for inlays, onlays, crowns and veneers. Porcelain is a bit more brittle than other materials and is generally not used for teeth that carry heavy biting loads. Strength depends greatly on the quality of bond and underlying tooth structure. Because a thicker wall of porcelain is needed to add strength, more tooth reduction is required. A great option for front teeth, though not generally recommended for molars. |
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| 2) Porcelain Fused to Metal |
| This is a metal cap with porcelain fused on top. Allows the look of porcelain, with the strength of metal. This is a very strong and durable method and one that allows the best of both worlds. While there is still a small chance of cracking the porcelain on heavy biting loads, this restoration is much stronger than a full porcelain crown, and does not require as much reduction of the natural tooth. |
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| 3) Gold |
| They are very strong and require little reduction of the natural tooth for strength. They are very resistant to fracture and have a better “wear” on the other natural teeth. |
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| Our staff would love to help you in your decision for the right crown. |
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