Crowns are restorative procedures used to recover your tooth’s shape or to strengthen a tooth. Crowns are most often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or have large portions destroyed by tooth decay. A dental crown is considered a fixed restoration that protects the tooth when it has insufficient structure, in order to avoid breakage, while in function. A crown is also called a “cap” that is cemented onto an existing tooth that usually covers the portion of your tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes your tooth’s new outer surface. Crowns can be made of porcelain, metal, or both. Porcelain crowns are most often preferred because they mimic the translucency of natural teeth and are very strong.
Certainly, all patients desire beautiful dental crowns. However, the fit of the crown on the tooth is also of paramount importance. Flawless sealing around the prepared tooth is necessary in order to create perfectly fitted, anatomically and esthetically pleasing crowns and ensure a successful, functional, long-lasting crown. Crowns or onlays (partial crowns) are needed when there is insufficient tooth structure remaining to hold a filling. Unlike fillings, which apply the restorative material directly into your mouth, a crown is fabricated away from your mouth.
Your crown is created in a lab from your unique tooth impression, which allows a dental laboratory technician to examine all aspects of your bite and jaw movements. Your crown is then sculpted just for you, customized so that your bite and jaw movements function normally once the crown is placed.
As a dentist with 25 plus years of experience and thousands of crowns under my belt, it’s my personal belief that the use of a skilled, creative dental technician paired with a trained, attentive dentist is the key to this endeavor. At Dentistry by Design, we employ the work of the best cosmetic dental technician in the area therefore our crowns are esthetic, long-lasting, functional and difficult to differentiate from the patient’s natural teeth.
