Crowns
A crown is a cap that covers a weak tooth above the gum line and protects the tooth. It will restore a broken down tooth to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. We will advise on a crown when the prospect of a filling achieving these aims is poor. If a tooth is cracked, a crown holds the tooth together to seal the cracks so the damage does not get any worse. Crowns are also used to support the remaining tooth structure when a very large filling (often after root canal therapy) has been placed and there is a high risk of the tooth fracturing away.
Modern dental technology has provided us with the opportunity to select from a large range of materials for crowns. Crowns are made by highly skilled dental technicians in a dental laboratory.
- Gold alloy (usually approximately 60% gold) crowns and palladium crowns are exceptionally well suited for the back grinding teeth.
- Porcelain fused to metal alloy crowns (the internal part of the crown is metal with porcelain on the outside) are the most common crowns used for front teeth and, where indicated for aesthetic reasons, in back teeth as well.
- All porcelain crowns and glass crowns are gaining in popularity as the new ceramic materials are very strong and look absolutely natural.
- Plastic (composite resin) crowns with carbon fibre reinforcement are the latest developments and can also look wonderfully natural.
