What are dental crowns?

It is a type of a dental restoration that is tooth-shaped and encircles the natural tooth to restore its shape, size, strength and also to improve the appearance of compromised natural tooth. It is cemented with dental cement over prepared natural tooth. There are three types of crown:

1. Metal crowns: They are made of gold, silver or other metal alloys. Usually these types of crowns are made for back teeth where look or appearance is not important.

2. Porcelain crowns: They are made of all porcelain or dental ceramics. These kind of crowns are made for front teeth where cosmetic is the priority. They are more natural looking than other They are most expensive crowns.

3. Combination of metal and porcelain crowns : In combination crowns, inner layer is made of metal alloy and outer layer is made of porcelain to make looks like other teeth.

How do I take care of my dental crowns?

It is very important to take care of your crown, same way as you take care of your own teeth. Make sure to brush twice and floss once a day. It is important to remove sticky film (plaque) at the crown area where gum meets the tooth by brushing, flossing and/or using interdental cleansers. Avoid chewing hard foods and ice or any hard objects to prevent fracturing or damaging crown.

How do crowns work?

When tooth is fractured or damaged due to extensive decay it is necessary to cover entire tooth by a cap or crown. Sometimes crown can be used to improve the appearance, alignment or the shape of tooth. It protects the tooth from fracturing the tooth after root canal treatment. Porcelain, ceramic, or gold alloys can be used to make crown.

When is a crown necessary?

Any teeth that has more filling and less tooth structure requires dental crown. Any teeth that has "Ring Cavity" also need crown. All the back teeth and some front teeth that had root canal treatment should be covered with dental crowns. Sometimes teeth need crowns if they are worn down or broken due to grinding or bruxing or trauma. If the teeth are malformed or mal-positioned (crooked) or discolored they need crowns.