Dental Crowns

A crown, which is sometimes known as a cap, is carefully fitted over the top of your natural tooth for various reasons.  It might be to protect a broken tooth from further damage or after a root canal has been performed to help keep the integrity of the tooth.  They can also be used to improve the look of a tooth that is discoloured, helping to improve the overall look of your smile.

The cap fits over the tooth, above the gumline to help keep together cracked teeth and prevent further damage.  They can also be used to prevent further damage to worn teeth or where, after root canal treatment, there is not enough tooth left to support a filling.

Crowns have been around for hundreds of years, although what they are made from has changed and there are many more options available now:

• Metal, including gold alloy and other based-metal alloys
• Porcelain
• Porcelain fused to metal (PFM)
• Zirconia
• Porcelain fused to zirconia
• Ceramic
• Resin

If you need to have a crown then we’ll talk you through your various options and discuss the pros and cons of the ones suitable for you.  A permanent crown can last from 5 to 15 years, depending on your lifestyle and oral health routine, so it’s important that you are happy with your crown.

Once you’ve got your beautiful new crown, you just treat it like any of your natural teeth.  Maintain a good home oral health care regime, with plenty of flossing, and attend the practice as often as suggested so we can make sure everything is as it should be.