Dental Crowns

Dental Crowns – Saving Your Valuable Teeth With Natural Beauty

Dental crowns are often called dental caps.  They are one of the major tools we have to save your teeth.  There are several reasons that someone may need a dental crown:

• Replacement of an existing crown that no longer fits well
• Root canal therapy of a back tooth.  After a root canal is performed lots of tooth structure is lost and the tooth becomes more brittle.  To protect the tooth from cracking and breaking, a crown is put on top of the tooth.
• When there is a very large filling in the tooth and there are signs that the tooth is prone to fracture such as little crack lines or small chips.
• When decay has eaten away a large portion of the tooth and placing a regular filling is not predictable.

Here is a picture of a dental crown (First the tooth is prepared and then a crown is put on top of the tooth):

Options:

Philly residents have a lot of options when it comes to dental crowns.  That’s why it is important for people to understand the differences and similarities between the different types of crowns that are offered and which one is right for you.

Gold Dental Crowns are the “gold standard” and stand the test of time.  They last longer than most other crowns and are the most similar to natural teeth in hardness.  That’s why having a gold crown opposite a natural tooth won’t wear the tooth down like porcelain will.  While gold is very strong and durable, crowns made of gold are not aesthetic or as beautiful and natural looking.  This is why most people do not choose to have a gold crown unless it is a back tooth that is not visibile when you smile.

Porcelain Fused to Metal Dental Crowns are predictable and function bueautifully in most cases.  The technology has been studied for a long period of time so PFM crowns are predictable.  The core or center of the crown is made of metal like gold and the outside of it is made of beautiful porcelain.  The result: beautiful crowns that are also strong.  When it comes time to do a bridge, especially a long one, only PFM technology is selected since it has proven itself over the years to be durable.

All Porcelain Dentistry Crowns are also an option and are the newest and most exciting development in the world of crowns.  They inside is made out of a very strong porcelain that acts the same way as metal in the PFM crown.  The outside is made out of a different porcelain that can beautifully match your natural teeth.  The result is strength similar to the traditional metal based crown but no gray metal anywhere.  These are considered the most aesthetic and are especially used for front teeth that are on full display when you smile.