Crowns

What is a Tooth Crown ?

Outer layer of our teeth is made of strong and hard enamel. But, teeth may be chipped, broken, or weakened due to:

• Fall
• Trauma
• Tooth decay
• Large fillings
• Age related wear and tear

A Dental Crown (Cap) is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to cover the tooth to overcome a short coming of the tooth (size, shape, strength, appearance).

Reasons for Crowns:

• Broken or Fractured Teeth
• Tooth had Root Canal Therapy done which makes it brittle
• Cosmetic Enhancement
• Decayed Teeth
• Fractured Fillings
• Large Fillings
• To support a Dental Bridge
• Put over a Dental Implant

Materials of Dental Crown
Dental Crowns can be made up of stainless steel, all metal like Gold or Alloy, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic. However, Porcelain crowns and metal alloy crown (gold or alloy) are widely used crown materials.

Porcelain Crown:

• Porcelain Crowns are strong.
• They can be made to match of colour of natural teeth.
• Best for people with metal allergies.
• Most preferred material for front teeth crown.
• Suitable for Gums and Cheeks

Metal Alloy crown:

• Metal alloy crown contains metal alloy like Gold and Nickel
• Used for its strength, hardness, and durability.
• Specially useful for molars (must withstand force of grinding and crushing)

Tooth Crown Process

At least 2 appointments are required for the preparation and fitting of a Dental Crown. Sometimes a tooth may need a root canal filling and/or post for foundation.

First Appointment:

1. Impression of Teeth and Temporary Crown

• Dentist will take a permanent impression of your lower and upper teeth for a record of their appearance and how they fit together when jaws are closed (called “occlusion”)
• A jaw-shaped tray is filled with a soft, gel-like material, pushed onto your teeth, and held in place to set for 3 to 5 minutes

2. Preparation of Crown

• The dentist will apply local Anaesthetic and the tooth is shaped and made smaller. After shaping, another impression is taken to record changes. To protect the prepared tooth, a temporary crown is attached to the shaped tooth with temporary cement.
• The Impressions are sent to a Dental Lab to make the Crown per the specifications

Second Appointment:

1. The Temporary crown is removed. The new permanent crown is placed over the shaped tooth to check the shape and checked the colour match.
2. If everything is fine, the permanent crown is cemented to the tooth with dental cement.
3. Finally the dentist will test occlusion to check if you are comfortable with your bite. Minor adjustments are often required to achieve comfort.

Care for Temporary Dental Crown

As Temporary Crowns are temporary fix till the Permanent Crown is received and cemented-we suggest a few basic precautions:

• Avoid Chewing hard foods
• Avoid Chewing gums and sticky foods
• Minimum use of the side of the mouth where Temporary Crown is placed

FAQs