Crowns

dental crown beside natural toothOccasionally a tooth becomes so severely damaged due to trauma or decay that the area is too large to be restored with a traditional filling. In a case like this, you may be in need of a dental crown. A dental crown completely covers your damaged tooth and is cemented into place to offer a strong, natural looking replacement tooth.

If you’re in need of a crown, we’ll create a model and take impressions of your existing teeth to be sure the replacement tooth fits perfectly, matching the size, shape and color of your natural teeth. Crowns or “caps” are created in a lab so while they are being made, we place a temporary crown, made of acrylic, composite resin or metal alloy, for protective and cosmetic purposes. When your permanent crown is ready, usually two weeks after your crown preparation appointment, we’ll schedule a follow up appointment to cement it into place.

Just like fillings, there are various types of dental crowns.

  • Metal Crowns
    Metal Crowns can be made from gold or silver alloys. Due to their durability they are most popular for molars.
  • Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal Crowns
    These crowns contain an inner metal casting with porcelain baked over it. While they look very natural, if they chip the underlying metal may be exposed. However, this type of crown is also quite durable.
  • Ceramic or Porcelain Crowns
    All ceramic or porcelain crowns provide optimum cosmetic results. Porcelains can be slightly abrasive and cause wear on opposing teeth, but this type of crown is very common. If you need to replace a front tooth, a ceramic or porcelain crown is a great choice.