Dental Crowns Explained: Restoring Strength, Function and Beauty

Dental crowns, also known as caps, are placed atop damaged teeth to restore their shape, strength, and appearance. They are crafted of materials that blend into the smile, including porcelain and zirconia.

Crowns are fabricated from impressions of the affected tooth, either digitally or with reliable putty-like materials. Your dentist may require several visits to complete the process.

Strength

Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that encase and restore damaged teeth. They can be made from a number of different materials, including metals and ceramics. The type of crown you choose depends on your needs and the aesthetics of your smile. For example, all-porcelain crowns look like natural teeth and are good for front or back teeth. They are also ideal for patients with a metal allergy. Porcelain and metal-cement dental crowns Bowling Green KY are more durable but can chip or break easily.

Zirconia crowns are another good option for back molars and premolars, which withstand substantial biting and chewing forces. They are less likely to fracture and come close in strength to a patient's natural teeth. They also have a translucent porcelain layer that shines through the tetragonal zirconia core, providing color dynamics similar to natural teeth. The CAD/CAM fabrication process allows dentists to sculpt the crown to the correct size, shape, and appearance. They are also easier to polish than all-metal crowns.

Aesthetics

Crowns are able to camouflage or restore a broken tooth’s appearance and can be crafted to match your natural teeth. The process involves numbing your tooth and making several highly accurate molds to form a model of the tooth’s surface. The model will be used to create a custom crown that will fit snugly and naturally into the tooth. Once the crown is made, it will be securely attached with temporary cement until your permanent crown is ready.

Dental crowns are a great option for protecting weak teeth from infections, restoring a chipped tooth that cannot be restored with a filling, covering a broken tooth or holding a dental bridge in place. They also have a very long lifespan. There are several different types of crowns available, including porcelain and metal. Your dentist will discuss your options and help you choose the best one for your specific needs. Alternatively, there are other cosmetic treatments that can address smaller chips in your smile like dental bonding or porcelain veneers.

Function

While dental bonding and veneers can conceal a chipped tooth’s appearance, crowns are better suited for more significant damage. These porcelain 'caps’ fully cover a broken tooth, restoring its original shape, size, strength and improving its appearance.

Like other types of restorations, crowns protect a weak tooth from infection, repair a cracked or heavily worn down tooth, support a dental implant and hold a bridge in place, restore a severely broken or discolored tooth, and make a smile look better. When crafted and placed properly, they are indistinguishable from your natural teeth.

A crown is fabricated from multiple components, including porcelain, and is custom-made to match your smile. During your first appointment, we will remove any decay and prepare the tooth surface for the crown by shaping it and making impressions of it. A temporary crown will be attached until the permanent one is ready for placement. A dental crowns Bowling Green KY can last for 15 years or longer with regular brushing, flossing and dental visits.

Lifespan

A dental crown is a custom-made covering that encases an entire tooth surface to restore its shape, size, strength, and appearance. It is recommended for teeth that cannot be restored with fillings and may be required for:

The lifespan of a dental crown depends on the patient’s care habits, such as diligent brushing and flossing, eating well, and regular dental visits. Poor oral hygiene leads to the buildup of plaque and trapped food particles around a tooth, which can damage or degrade the crown over time.

Dental crowns can be made from a variety of materials, such as ceramic or porcelain, metal alloys, and composite resins. Each type of material has its own advantages and benefits. For example, ceramic or porcelain crowns are highly aesthetic and blend in naturally with natural teeth. However, they may not be as durable as some other materials. Metal crowns, on the other hand, are durable and can withstand the pressure of chewing.