Dental Crowns: Guide to everything you need to Know
Is your tooth broken or cracked? Have you got the root canal done? Do you want to fix your smile? Well then, a Dental or Tooth Crown is all you need. Dental crowns are most commonly used when it comes to dental procedures. Let us understand what a Dental crown is, its types, procedure, cost, aftercare, etc. in detail.
What is a Dental Crown?
A Dental crown, commonly known as a ‘cap’, is a custom-made hollow tooth-shaped cover put over a tooth or an implant. An implant is an artificial tooth root. Usually, dental crowns are used to cover damaged, discoloured and weakened teeth. They can also be used to make your smile better.
A dental crown can be made of porcelain, ceramic, zirconia, metal, composite resin or a combination of these materials. However, your dentist will decide on the material of your dental crown based on:
- Location of the tooth
- How much of it will show while smiling
- Position of gum tissue
- The function of the tooth
- The remaining original tooth
- Colour of the surrounding teeth
Types of Dental Crown
There are various types of Dental crowns. Some of them are:
1. Temporary crown
A temporary Tooth Crown remains for only a short period in your mouth. This is usually done when the permanent crown is being prepared for the patient. These are placed over the tooth with an adhesive that can be easily removed.
2. One-day crown
Many dentists these days use CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) technology to make crowns on the first visit itself. CAD/CAM technology allows the dentist to take digital dental impressions of your teeth and design a custom crown for you. The designs are then sent to an on-site milling machine which crafts your crown from a solid block of ceramic. However, these are not for everyone. It will thus be decided by your dentist.
3. Onlay or ¾ Crown
Sometimes, you do not need a full crown to cover your tooth. In such cases, your dentist may suggest an onlay or ¾ crown to cover only a particular part of the tooth.
Why do you need a Dental Crown?
Here are some of the reasons why your dentist may recommend a dental crown:
- To protect a cracked or weakened tooth
- For supporting and covering a tooth with a large filling
- For cushioning the gap of a missing tooth
- To hold Dental Bridges in place
- For protecting the tooth after a root canal
- To cover an implant
- To improve your smile
Dental crown costs
The cost of dental crowns depends on the material used and the tooth size. Metal crowns made of gold, silver or nickel cost a bit more than those made of porcelain or ceramic.
Dental crown procedure
The procedure to place a dental crown will depend on whether it is a same-day or multi-day procedure. Let’s understand the steps involved in both of these.
Multi-day procedure
- Examination and taking X-Rays of the tooth that needs a dental crown.
- Filing down and removing the part of the outer layer of the tooth.
- Making an impression of the trimmed tooth and the surrounding teeth.
- Placing a temporary crown over the tooth.
- Sending the impressions to the lab for the permanent crown to be made. This may take several weeks.
- When the permanent crown is ready, remove the temporary crown and place the permanent one.
Same-day procedure
- Taking digital pictures of your mouth.
- Creating the crown using digital scans within 1 or 2 hours.
- Placing the crown on the tooth which may take 2 to 4 hours.
Dental crown Care
- Carefully brush your teeth at least twice a day. You may use toothpaste for sensitive teeth if you feel heat and cold on the crown or surrounding teeth.
- Floss daily.
- Avoid hard foods.
- Use a night guard to protect your teeth in case you grind or clench your teeth at night.
- You need to be extra careful with your temporary crowns.
Takeaway
Though you have many choices when it comes to Tooth Crowns, no one crown can fit all. Your dentist can recommend the best type of crown that would suit you. You also need to consider the cost and other factors before you make a choice.
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