It’s easy to damage or crack a tooth. We can make small repairs with dental bonding. However, more severe damage will require a dental crown. Our dentists are highly skilled at the fabrication and placement of high-quality dental crowns.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a protective cover that we place over your natural tooth to stabilize your tooth and absorb some force from chewing. It is similar to a helmet and is sometimes necessary to prevent dental extraction due to damage.
Our dental crowns are custom-made to fit perfectly in your mouth. Most of our crowns look and feel like natural teeth. They’re a long-lasting, durable way to restore your ability to chew and speak normally, all while preserving your oral health.
Who Needs Dental Crowns?
Do you have a tooth that’s badly cracked? Do you need a root canal procedure? Are you missing a tooth and looking to get a dental bridge? Do you have cosmetic concerns that can’t be fixed with whitening services or veneers?
Our custom-made dental crowns may be right for you.
Dental crowns are used to reinforce damaged teeth that can’t be repaired with fillings. They’re also used as anchors for dental bridges, and, occasionally, for cosmetic work.
That means many of our patients may need a crown at one point or another. They’re a useful tool in many dental procedures.
If we think a dental crown may be right for you, we’ll go over treatment options with you.
Types of Crowns
There are several different crown types available. The crowns that we’ll use depend on the teeth being treated, as well as patient preference:
Porcelain Crowns
Porcelain crowns look and feel like natural teeth. They’re long-lasting, but somewhat brittle. We’ll typically use porcelain crowns on the front teeth, for two reasons:
- The way a crown looks is more important toward the front of the mouth, where the teeth are more visible
- There’s usually less bite pressure towards the front of the mouth, so the porcelain is less likely to crack.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns
To get around the weakness of porcelain crowns, we can fuse porcelain to metal. This gives patients the strength of a metal crown and the aesthetics of a porcelain crown.
These crowns are an excellent option for most teeth, but patients need to keep up a good oral health routine. If the gums start to recede, the metal in the crowns may begin to show.
All Metal Crowns
All metal crowns are a highly durable option – they’re made of gold. They last a long time, too. They don’t look natural at all, however, so they’re mostly used on teeth at the side and back of the mouth.
Of course, if you want a gold front tooth crown, let us know!
Benefits of Dental Crowns
Our dental crowns protect and reinforce your natural teeth. That means dental crowns make it easier to chew and talk. By preserving your natural teeth, our dentists are also able to protect your oral health. Patients with all of their natural teeth intact have fewer problems with shifting teeth and bone loss.
How Do Dental Crowns Work?
We will prepare your tooth by removing part of the tooth structure. Your customized dental crown will fit directly over your remaining tooth structure. While we arrange for your permanent crown, we will put in a temporary crown.
To adhere to the crown to your tooth, we will use specially designed adhesive. The dentist will make adjustments to ensure your comfort and tooth function are optimal.
Once in place, your dental crowns will work exactly like your natural teeth, helping you to eat and talk. Care for dental crowns in the same way you would care for your natural teeth – brush twice a day, and floss once a day.
Why Save Your Tooth?
By saving your natural tooth, you can avoid problems such as shifting teeth and bone loss. If your teeth shift, it can affect your bite and lead to future problems. Furthermore, bone loss can create an unstable environment for your adjacent teeth, causing a chain reaction of tooth loss.
Book an Appointment Today
We’re currently accepting new patients at our dental clinic in Edmonton. If you think you may need dental crowns, give us a call – we’d be happy to go over your options with you.