General Dentistry Information - About Dental Crowns

A cosmetic dentist may place a dental crown over a tooth in order to improve the appearance of the tooth or to restore the shape, size, or strength of the tooth. When cemented in place a crown, which is a cap that is shaped like a tooth, covers the visible part of the tooth.

Dentists typically use crowns to protect a weak tooth from breaking (or breaking further), to restore a worn down tooth, to support a tooth with a large filing, to hold a dental bridge in place, to cover a dental implant, or to cover misshapen or badly discolored teeth.

Permanent crowns are constructed in a dental laboratory from metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, all ceramic, or all porcelain, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Metal crowns are the most durable, withstanding wearing down better than the other materials. The metallic color makes them a good choice for molars that are not visible, but not such a good choice for visible teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are good choices for front or back teeth. All-resin crowns are the least expensive, but also the most likely to wear down or fracture. All ceramic crowns are good as replacements for front teeth because they have the best color match. They are not, however, as durable as other crowns. Dentists often place a temporary crown, made of acrylic or stainless steel, until the dental lab makes the permanent crown.

Placing a crown usually involves two visits to the dentist: the first for examining and preparing the tooth and the second for placing the permanent crown. A permanent crown requires the same dental hygiene as a natural tooth, including brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits. Depending on wear and tear and oral hygiene, dental crowns last between five and fifteen years. Grinding and clenching teeth, chewing ice, biting fingernails, and using teeth to open packages will shorten the life of a crown. Contact a cosmetic dentist in Naperville for more information on crowns today!