Dental Crowns
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are used to restore damaged, weakened or discolored teeth. They may also be employed in order to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a tooth after having undergone root canal therapy or another restoration procedure.
Crowns can be made of a variety of materials, such as metal or porcelain. Your dentist will help you decide which type best meets your requirements.
Aesthetics
Your smile is one of your greatest assets, and a healthy, attractive smile can boost confidence levels, improve overall health and reduce heart disease risk factors. Unfortunately, many factors can negatively affect its appearance such as decay, damage and malocclusion.
Crowns are designed to correct these dental issues by protecting a tooth that has been damaged, chipped or broken while also improving your smile's aesthetic by matching color and shape with surrounding teeth.
Porcelain crowns offer the lustrous, translucent appearance of natural dental enamel without the maintenance. Plus, these crowns are stain-resistant to help prevent discoloration as you age.
PFM crowns, also known as porcelain fused to metal crowns, more closely replicate the color dynamics of natural teeth than all-ceramic crowns do. They typically begin with a core of tooth-colored tetragonal zirconia before being covered by standard transparent porcelain.
Strength
Dental Crowns, also referred to as dental caps or simply crowns, are prosthetic devices designed to safeguard and strengthen weak or broken teeth. Unlike dentures, these fixed prosthetic devices must be removed by your dentist after being secured onto existing teeth or dental implants.
Different dental crowns offer various advantages, such as durability, strength, affordability and aesthetics.
Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns are a popular option for restoring molar teeth, offering the strength of metal crowns with porcelain's aesthetic appeal. However, this choice may cause faster wear on opposing teeth and the metal ring may be visible if your gums recede.
Resin crowns are an affordable solution for restoring molars that blend in with natural tooth color. Unfortunately, they're weaker than other types of crowns and more vulnerable to chipping or fractures than their metal counterparts.
Durability
Dental Crowns are made of long-lasting materials that can last if properly cared for. They can be used on damaged teeth to improve their aesthetic and function, or attached to a dental bridge to replace a missing tooth.
Crowns can last 10 to 15 years or longer depending on the material used. This makes them durable as they resist wear and tear from repeated chewing and biting.
Porcelain crowns are stain-resistant and can be tinted to match your teeth for a natural, attractive look that's an alternative to metal crowns. They can be used on front teeth or molars alike for front tooth restoration.
Crowns come in three materials: resin, ceramic and porcelain-fused-to-metal. Resin crowns are more cost effective than porcelain-fused-to-metal options but may chip or break more easily. Furthermore, resin crowns tend to wear down teeth opposite them more than their porcelain counterparts do.
Comfort
Dental crowns are created to replicate the form, function and aesthetic of natural teeth. They can be used for restoring broken or chipped teeth, repairing significant tooth damage due to decay or trauma, covering severely weakened teeth after root canal treatment and more.
They can also be used to restore missing teeth and fill in any gaps left in a person's smile. If there are gaps between teeth, this could indicate malocclusion (bad bite), leading to additional issues like bone deterioration and temporomandibular joint disorders.