Dental Crowns - Procedures, Types, and Cost

Dental crowns are required for treating various conditions efficiently. Problems with teeth grinding, improper bite, tooth decay and fillings can contribute to wearing of your teeth over time. This often leads to cracks or breakages of the teeth. Dental crowns help in covering the entire surface of the affected teeth that is visible to the naked eye and that adds durability, tooth stability and strength as well.

Dental crowns, often called “caps” help in preserving the functionality of a damaged tooth / teeth. Crowns can be used for protecting cracked tooth, for restoring the functionality of excessively decayed tooth or for replacing an existing crown as well.   The main purpose of dental crowns is to properly enhance the defective tooth with an existing custom –made material. Dentists today are offering different options for conservative treatments through which your dental problems can be restored easily. These treatments, however, are to be discussed with the cosmetic dentist and explored properly prior to making the selection of the crown.

Are you a Candidate for Tooth Crowns?

Dental crowns are meant for people having decayed or damaged teeth. If you have always wanted to have a bright, white smile but you have failed because of some minor damages, dental crowns are the best possible options for you.

Different Types of Dental Crowns

There are 3 different types of dental crowns the ones made of ceramic, gold and a blend of ceramic-veneered gold crowns. The metal ceramic crowns and the gold crowns are usually more durable and are used in the molars. Molars are the main teeth responsible for grinding and chewing foods and therefore those teeth require better protection. Ceramic crowns, on the other hand, are the next choice for the front teeth, as they resemble the natural color of teeth. This actually helps in maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the teeth while retaining its durability and strength.

Gold Crowns

Due to the aesthetic reasons, the gold crowns aren’t really popular. However, they are still more preferred because of the durability of this metal. Gold crowns seem to be an ultimate choice when you are not concerned about the appearance part. As the metal is functional and quite easy to use, it fits in very well into the mouth unlike the other types of metals. While there are chances that the porcelain crowns might get chipped or cracked sometimes, the gold crowns aren’t exposed to any such threats.

Porcelain and Resin Crowns

Porcelain crowns or resin bonded crowns are the latest and the most aesthetic dental crowns of late. These crowns are made from ceramic, which is a typical form of reinforced composite resin. It gives a natural color to your teeth while providing an excellent bond to the tooth. As these crowns are free from metals, patients experiencing metal sensitivities can safely opt for this option too. When the back teeth are concerned, your dentist will need to perform an onlay prior to the dental crown. This procedure, however, is only required for those teeth that are not in a proper condition.

Metal and Porcelain Crowns

For an overall aesthetic appearance, the perfect solution is a combination of porcelain and metal crowns. Nonetheless, the base of these crowns is metal; metal forms the substructure of the crowns. This actually makes the translucent appearance of the natural teeth far more difficult to imitate.

Porcelain

Porcelain is one of the common ingredients used for some of the recognized dental works. There are 2 different types of porcelain used today – the pressed ceramic porcelain and the felspathic porcelain. Pressed ceramic porcelain is made from one single ingot. This single ingot is properly milled into a piece that helps in creating the perfect shape. The opaque and stains are properly applied to the tooth surface of porcelain to bring about a natural and beautiful appeal.

The felspathic porcelain was the first of its kind that has been present for more than 20 years now. This porcelain has a unique method of being prepared and it is still used in some rare occasions.

The Dental Crowns Procedure

The procedure begins with the process of taking an impression of the patient’s tooth for preparing the crowns at the dental laboratory. The cosmetic dentist places a temporary crown inside the mouth of the patient for use. This crown needs to be worn until the permanent crown is made and placed inside the mouth. The permanent crown will be cemented into the tooth for increased strength. This procedure typically requires 2 visits – one during which the measurements are taken and a temporary crown is given, and the second visit in which the cosmetic dentist will actually give you the crown. Sometimes, a restoration is required for the tooth before placing a crown. For stabilizing the tooth, a filling needs to be inserted in place before actually placing the crown as the tooth structure is often lost during the restoration procedure. Dental crowns, if maintained properly, can last up to 15 years.

Prior to the procedure, make sure you discuss all the necessary details about the treatment with your cosmetic dentist. The color of the cement to be used is very important for retaining the permanent effect of the crown. Remember that the color of your teeth is extremely important in order to maintain the natural effect. You must discuss all these necessary factors prior to the treatment.

There are times when a cosmetic dentist might prefer to use filler instead of a temporary crown. A flipper is basically a false tooth used for replacing a missed tooth before actually placing the crown. A flipper needs to be attached with a wire or plastic piece to fit into the roof of the mouth. Flippers aren’t permanent solutions.

The Cost

Porcelain crowns are usually more expensive and they also take more time to be completed. Porcelain crowns, gold crowns and porcelain combined with metal crowns costs approximately $600 to $3100 per tooth.

Pros and Cons

Pros

One of the biggest advantages of dental crowns is its durability and strength. Also, these crowns are natural to look at and have a great feel too.

Cons

Gold crowns aren’t pleasant until of course you are using them at the back of the teeth.

Porcelain crowns are increasingly thick and it requires more dental work to be done in terms of its structure.

Description: If you always had to cover up your smile due to a damages tooth then the best option would be to go in for dental crowns. They are slightly expensive but worth the price.