Types of Crowns
 Dental Crowns - An Ideal Solution to Damaged or Missing Teeth
Dental problems, be they cosmetic flaws that affect your appearance or tooth damage and loss, can greatly affect the quality of your life. However, when these problems occur, there are several dental solutions at hand that can fix them. At Dublin Family Dental, we are committed to offering you these dental restorative solutions, which help to restore the natural look and function of your damaged or missing teeth. Dental crowns are one of the solutions we offer towards this end.
What Are Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are artificial, tooth-shaped caps, which are placed over a damaged natural tooth to restore it to its original status. Crowns are also used as anchor teeth in dental bridges, where they help to support one or more fake teeth (used to replace missing natural ones). On top of that, dental crowns can be used to replace missing teeth by screwing them onto dental implants.
Who Needs a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns are a popular dental procedure that is used to remedy several dental health issues. They can be an ideal solution for you, if:
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You require a bridge for your missing teeth - dental bridges use crowns to fix them onto the adjacent natural teeth.
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You have received a root canal treatment - after a root canal treatment, a dental crown is placed on the filled tooth to protect it from re-infection and restore the strength of the tooth.
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You have a badly damaged tooth that cannot be filled - for teeth that are badly damaged by an infection (a large cavity), a filling might be impossible. In such a case, a dental crown can be placed over the tooth to protect it from further infection and strengthen it.
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You have discolored or improperly shaped teeth - dental crowns can also be used for cosmetic reasons to hide flaws such as discoloration or uneven tooth shape.
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You have a cracked, broken, worn down, or weak tooth - crowns can be used to hide damage to a tooth, and restore its strength.
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You are getting dental implants - dental crowns are used to cover dental implants, thus offering a full restoration of a missing tooth. |
Types of Dental Crowns
There are several types of dental crowns you can choose from. They include:
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Natural-tooth colored crowns - these are dental crowns that are made from materials with a natural tooth-like color. Examples include ceramic, porcelain, glass, and composite-resin crowns. They are mostly used for their cosmetic benefits when restoring the appearance of the missing or damaged teeth.
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Metal alloy crowns - these are made from metal alloys such as gold alloys, platinum alloys, cobalt-chromium, nickel-chromium, and others. These metal alloys are strong and durable, and thus the crowns are used where the natural tooth is weakened. However, due to their color, they are mostly used for posterior teeth.
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Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns - metal crowns can be covered with porcelain to make them appear more natural. As a result, they can be used on the visible anterior teeth, without the fear that they will be unsightly. However, there is a risk that porcelain can come off with time, exposing the metal section. |
Do you have more questions about dental crowns? Dublin Family Dental can answer all of them for you. Call us today at (925) 587-4417 to schedule an appointment. |
