What Is a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns are made to fit like caps over your existing teeth or implants. Usually, after the loss of a tooth, crowns can help fill out your smile, keep natural teeth aligned and strong. Take a deeper look to learn more about dental services and crowns.
Over time, teeth become damaged. There are many reasons why this can happen, including tooth decay, injuries, daily use of teeth for eating. Your teeth can even change shapes and sizes. Dental crowns are intended to be as close to your natural teeth as possible and restore strength, shape, size, alignment, and even the appearance of a healthy, natural tooth. As a dental crown is cemented onto your tooth, it will cover the parts that can be seen.
Who needs a dental crown?
A variety of problems may be resolved with a dental crown. Some of those reasons are:
- Protecting a broken, damaged, or weakening tooth when parts are cracked
- Restoring a worn-down tooth
- Covering a tooth that has a large amount of filling and the natural tooth has depleted
- Hold a dental bridge in place
- Protect the spacing where a misshapen tooth is located
- Cover a dental implant
- Protect and cover a tooth after a root canal
- Aesthetic purposes, such as significantly discoloration of a tooth
Types of Crowns
There are a variety of types of crowns in order to uniquely match the individual needs of your teeth.
Onlays and 3/4 Crowns
- do not completely cover the natural tooth
- are appropriate for covering a tooth with a solid structure
- considered more conservative approach
- affected area is removed and tooth is reshaped to receive the crown
Traditional Crowns
- cover the entire tooth
- less conservative, more aggressive approach
What materials are crowns made of?
Crowns can be metal, porcelain-fused- to- metal, all-resin, all- ceramic, all-porcelain, or pressed ceramic. Each of these materials has its own unique benefits as well as some quirks to walk through.
Metal
- Gold, Palladium, Nickel, Chromium
- Metal crowns rarely chip or break
- Minimal amounts of natural tooth are removed
- Withstand biting/ chewing
- Drawback in color
Porcelain-fused-to-metal
- Can match the teeth next to the crown, more natural color
- Can be good for front or back teeth
- Can chip or break off
- Can wear down teeth beside it
- Metal under crown’s porcelain can show through as dark line
All-Resin
- More affordable, in general
- Wear down over time
- More likely to break
All-Ceramic/ All-Porcelain
- Best natural coloring
- Good for individuals with metal allergies
- Good for front teeth
- Not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns
- Can wear down teeth next to them more so than metal or resin crowns
Pressed Ceramic
- Hard inner core for strength and protection
- Replace the metal liner used in all-ceramic crowns
- Capped with porcelain
- longer lasting
What is the procedure for a dental crown?
Most often, a dental crown can be effectively placed within 2 visits.
First visits will be for examining the tooth that is going to receive the crown. You will have x-rays taken of both the tooth and the bone. There are some circumstances when the dentist requests/ requires a root canal in the cases of tooth decay, high risk of infection, injured pulp (soft tissue inside teeth that contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue) of tooth.
The tooth receiving the crown will be filed across the top and sides in preparation for the crown to be placed. In situations where too much tooth is missing, a filling material can be used to build up enough structure for the crow to cover.
An impression will be made to create the individualized and specific crown. Unless your dentist has an in-office lab, the creation of the permanent crown at a lab can take up to 2-3 weeks. During the wait, a temporary crown will be created.
At your second visit the temporary crown is removed and then Momo permanent crown is placed on your tooth. The fit as well as the color are examined. If all is well, local anesthetic is administered so that the crown can be permanently cemented into place.
What is the expected life expectancy of a dental crown placements?
The average life expectancy of a crown is five to fifteen years. This is significantly dependent upon the way that you use your crown and care for your teeth. Damaging bad habits to be aware of include:
- chewing or biting nails
- opening packages with teeth
- chewing on ice
- grinding or clenching teeth
Healthy ways to care for your dental crown include brushing twice a day, flossing once daily, and using mouth wash regularly.
What are problems associated with a crown?
While there are many benefits of dental crowns, there some issues that may arise over time. Risks include:
- Discomfort and sensitivity to heat/ cold
- Chipped crown
- Loose crown
- Crown falling off
- Allergic reaction
- Dark line on crowned tooth next to gum line
- Dark sections on porcelain-fused-to-metal crown
How much do dental crowns cost?
Cost of dental crowns can vary based on material used and where your dentist’s office is located. Porcelain crowns are more expensive than gold, but the range of costs is typically between $800-$1,500 per crown and is not usually fully covered by insurance.
Signature Smiles Dentistry of Parker, CO
When you begin researching dental crowns in Parker, Colorado, Signature Smiles Dentistry is your best resource for smile enhancement and restoration. The excellent performance by Dr. Gunning and his staff will place crowns that can last your lifetime with good oral hygiene and regular dental checkups. By considering the future of each patient, they can provide the best long-term care plan for you and your healthy smile. Among the many restorative dental treatments that are offered at Signature Smiles Dentistry, dental crowns are a great option to replace lost, broken, or decaying teeth. Schedule a dental crown consultation online or by calling (720) 722-3792. Our patients always talk about how comfortable they felt during their experience at Signature Smiles Dentistry because our staff are so attentive, friendly, and kind.