What are Tooth Crowns?

Grinding your teeth, an improper bite, age, fillings and tooth decay can all be contributing factors in the wearing down, cracking or breakage of your teeth. Dental crowns cover the entire visible surface of your affected tooth and add strength, durability and tooth stability

What is the difference between a dental filling and a dental crown?

Whereas a filling covers only a portion of the tooth, a dental crown completely encases the visible area of the tooth, creating a brand new outer surface for your tooth.

Who is a candidate for Tooth Crowns?

Grinding your teeth, an improper bite, age, fillings and tooth decay can all be contributing factors in the wearing down, cracking or breakage of your teeth. Dental crowns cover the entire visible surface of your affected tooth and add strength, durability and tooth stability.

Your cosmetic dentist will usually be able to spot problem areas in your mouth that might lead to tooth damage and a need for crowns. Chewing patterns play a big role as well. By selectively grinding the tips of your middle and back teeth (called cusps) will alter your bite to reduce the stress on at-risk teeth.

In other instances, crowns are used to replace a actual missing tooth. These crowns are anchored to the teeth on either side, with a bridge section connecting the two crowns. Instead of bridges, single tooth dental implants may be used that eliminate the need for supporting the crowns.

How are Tooth Crowns Attached to your Tooth?

Your cosmetic dentist will make an impression of the tooth and a dental laboratory will create the crown. You will typically leave the office with a temporary crown to wear while the permanent crown is being made - this takes about two weeks. The permanent crown is then cemented onto your tooth. Typically, only two visits are required for this part of the procedure. Often, a preliminary restoration of your tooth may be needed before a crown can be placed. To stabilize your tooth, a filling must first be put in place prior to placing a crown due to the loss of original tooth structure. Tooth crowns usually last ten to fifteen years.

Be sure to discuss with your cosmetic dentist that the cement color used for your permanent crown will be the same as used for your temporary crown. A try in paste is used for this purpose. The color of the cement does affect the overall color of a porcelain crown, so this needs to be discussed long before your temporary crown is placed.

In some cases your cosmetic dentist may choose to use a Flipper instead of a temporary crown. A Flipper is a false tooth to temporarily take the place of a missing tooth before the permanent crown is placed. A Flipper can be attached via either a wire or a plastic piece that fits in the roof of your mouth. Flippers are meant to be a temporary solution while awaiting the permanent crown.

Is it possible for my dental crown to pop off?

Although unlikely, occasionally a dental crown will pop off, in which case the crown must be replaced immediately, due to tooth sensitivity and aesthetic appearance. In the case that this happens, please call your dentist immediately.

Will my dental crown look and feel natural?

A porcelain dental crown looks and feels exactly like a real tooth, so nobody, including you, should be able to tell the difference. If anything, your new dental crown will enhance the look of your smile.


Advantages?

Dental crowns offer a big advantage over dental fillings because they are fabricated "away from the mouth". As the dental crown is made in the dental laboratory, the technician can visualize and examine all aspects of bite and jaw movements, from a variety of angles, and sculpt the dental crown for a perfect anatomy. This ensures a great deal of accuracy for comfort and fit