What Is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped ‘cap’ that goes over a damaged, broken or decayed tooth to restore its strength and appearance. Crowns are often used in combination with a dental implant to replace a missing tooth. They are also a useful tool to save a severely damaged tooth that is too weak to support a filling or to protect a cracked or chipped tooth from further damage.

What are the different types of crowns?

Several different types of crowns can be made depending on the materials, cost, procedure and patient requirements. These include all-metal, porcelain fused to metal, ceramic, and resin (acrylic). The type of crown that is best for you will depend on the location and extent of the damage, your budget, and aesthetic considerations.

To make a crown, your dentist will first prepare the tooth by scraping away its outer covering. They will then build up parts of the natural tooth with a filling material if necessary to create space for the crown. This will help ensure that the crown is strong enough to resist the forces of biting and chewing.

Then they will take impressions of the affected tooth. This can be done with either a physical mould made from putty-like material or with a digital scanner that will take a picture of the tooth’s surface. They will then send these to a lab to create a crown that is unique for you.…