A crown is a cap placed on top of a damaged tooth. Crown is used to protect, cover, and restore your teeth when fillings are not good enough to solve the problem. It can be made from a variety of materials, including metals, porcelain, resin, and ceramics.

What are dental crowns?

Teeth damage can happen for many reasons, including tooth decay, injuries, or just use over time. Dental crowns are tooth-shaped “caps” that can be positioned over the damaged tooth to restore its shape, size, strength, and appearance. An experienced dentist cements the dental crown into place on your tooth to cover the visible portion of the tooth.

Who needs a dental crown?

If your tooth has a large cavity that’s too big for a filling, you may need a crown to save the tooth.

You may need a dental crown if your tooth is:

 

• worn down
• cracked
• weakened

 

Dentists recommend crowns following root canal because the procedure can make the tooth more fragile and needs protection. You may be an ideal candidate for a crown if you have a missing tooth and the dentist wants to put in a dental bridge or a tooth implant.

Why would you need a dental crown?

A dental crown can be used for several reasons, including:

 

• To protect a weak tooth from breaking.
• To restore a broken or a severely worn down tooth.
• To cover and support a tooth with a large filling and not much tooth remaining.
• To hold a dental bridge in place.
• To cover misshapen or severely discolored teeth.
• To cover a dental implant.
• To cover a tooth that’s been treated with a root canal.

 

What are dental crowns made of?

Permanent dental crowns can be made out of different materials, including:

Metal: Metals like gold, palladium, nickel, and chromium are used to make dental crowns. Metal crowns rarely break, last longer, and only require a small amount of your tooth to be removed.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal:This type of dental crown have a more natural tooth color and can be the right choice for front or back teeth.

All-resin: Dental crowns that are made out of resin are generally less expensive compared to other crown types. However, they are more prone to break than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

All-ceramic or all-porcelain:These dental crowns provide the best natural color match than any other crown type. However, they aren’t as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and can wear down the teeth opposite them in the mouth.