Dental Crown

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth, covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

A dental crown may be needed

• To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
• To restore a broken or worn-down tooth• To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left
• To give esthetics to a misshaped or discolored teeth
• To hold a dental bridge in place
• To cover a dental implant

Types of materials for crowns

Permanent crowns can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.

ewing forces well. They last the longest in terms of wear down and they rarely chip or break. The main drawback is the metallic color. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.

• Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike the metallic crowns). However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns. The crown’s porcelain portion can also chip or break off. Next to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth. However, sometimes the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line and even more so if your gums recede. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.

• All-resin dental crowns are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than porcelain-fused to-metal crowns

• All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns provide the best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down the opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for front teeth.

• All zirconia This type of crown is made from zirconia, a very strong material which is compatible with the human body. Zirconia is used in many other medical applications such as artificial joints and is known for its strength and durability.

Zirconia is a type of crystal which is long lasting and indestructible. crown is a popular type of all-ceramic crown which is worn to improve the appearance of a tooth which has become stained or disfigured over the years. They are durable, easy to wear and long lasting.