Dental Crowns

We may recommend crowns to a patient to:

• Replace a large filling when there is not enough tooth remaining
• Protect a weak tooth with multiple cracks
• Restore a fractured tooth
• Attach a bridge
• Cover a dental implant
• Cover a discolored tooth due to trauma, severe fluorosis, or post-root canal treatment
• Cover a poorly shaped tooth due to developmental reasons or after trauma.

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Creating and Installing a Crown

Before a crown can be made, the tooth (or teeth) must be reduced in size so that there is enough space for the crown to fit over it properly. After reducing the tooth/teeth, an impression of the tooth will be put in place to cover the prepared tooth while the permanent crown is being made. When the permanent crown is ready, the temporary crown is removed (sometimes local anesthesia may be necessary to remove temporary crowns if the prepared tooth/teeth are sensitive to temperature) and the new crown is cemented over your prepared tooth or teeth.

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Crowns are used to entirely cover or “cap” a damaged tooth for numerous reasons:

• Strengthens a damaged tooth.
• Improves aesthetics.
• Provides a tooth-like shape and structure for normal function.

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Types of Crowns

Porcelain/ceramic – Porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the color of your natural teeth. Crowns can also be made with materials such as gold, metal alloys, and a porcelain that is bonded to metal and acrylic material (temporary crowns).