Crown

Why would I need a crown?

There are a number of reasons. For instance:

The tooth may have been weakened by having a very large filling

it may be  discoloured  and  to place  the crown means to improve the appearance of the tooth

A root filling may  need  to be  protected by the crown.

Crowns are good in cases  of an accident and damaged  tooth.

İt may help hold a bridge or denture firmly in place.

What are crowns made of?

Crowns are made of a variety of materials and new materials are being introduced all the time. Here are some of the options available at present:

Porcelain bonded to precious metal: this is what most crowns are made from. A precious metal base is made and layers of porcelain are then applied over it.

Porcelain: these crowns are not as strong as bonded crowns but they can look very natural and are most often used for front teeth.

Porcelain and composite: porcelain and composite resin materials can sometimes look the most natural. However, these crowns are not as strong as bonded metal crowns.

Glass: these crowns look very natural and are used on both front and back teeth.

Precious metal (gold and palladium): these crowns are very strong and hard-wearing, but are not usually used at the front of the mouth, where they are highly visible.

	How is a tooth prepared for a crown? The  tooth will be prepared to the ideal shape for the crown. İt means that  most of the outer surface will be removed, and strong inner ‘core’ will be left. The amount of the tooth removed will be the same as the thickness of the crown to be fitted. Once the tooth is shaped, the  impression of the prepared tooth will be taken, one of the opposite jaw and possibly another to mark the way you bite together. The impressions will be given to the technician, along with any other information they need to make the crown.
	Who makes the crown? The impressions and information about the shade of  teeth will be given to a dental technician who  skilled in making crowns. They will make models of mouth and make the crown on these to be sure that the crown fits perfectly.
	Will the crown be noticeable? No. The crown will be made to match  other teeth exactly. The shade of the neighbouring teeth will be recorded, to make sure that the colour looksnatural and matches the surrounding teeth.

Are post crowns different?

Post crowns may be used when the tooth has been root filled. The weakened crown of the tooth is drilled off at the level of the gum. The  double-ended ‘post’ is fit into the root canal. This can be either prefabricated stainless steel or custom made of gold. One end of the post is cemented into the root canal, and the other end holds the crown firmly in place.

Are there any alternatives to post crowns for root-filled teeth?

If a root-filled tooth is not completely broken down, it may be possible to build it up again using filling material.