Dental Crowns

In order to do its job in the mouth, your tooth needs proper form and function and should be in harmony with the other teeth. When the crown of the tooth is destroyed due to decay, fracture (broken tooth) or after root canal therapy is done to the tooth, it needs a dental prosthesis known as a crown to protect the tooth. A crown is essentially a cap that covers the tooth in order to restore its shape and size.

When is do you need a Dental Crown?

• Restoring a broken tooth or a severely worn down tooth
• Covering and supporting a tooth with a large filling and not much tooth remaining
• Covering misshapen or severely discolored teeth.
• Covering a tooth that’s been treated with a root canal

Dental Bridge

The dental bridge includes two or more crowns which are joined together in order to cap multiple teeth or to replace a missing tooth by taking support of the adjacent teeth.

What is a dental crown and bridge made of?

A dental crown and bridge can be made up of:

1. Metal
2. Porcelain fused to metal
3. All-Ceramic or Zirconium

Professional in-Office Bleaching:

Metal crown: Metal crowns are made up of metal alloys and are silver-grey in colour. The metallic color makes this unsuitable for aesthetic areas such the front teeth and is mostly indicated for out of sight back teeth or where there is insufficient space for another type of crown.

1. A thorough cleaning of teeth is done before the bleaching process to make it more effective.
2. A protective shield is applied onto the lips and gums to prevent them from getting bleached.
3. The bleaching gel is then applied on to the teeth and activated using Zoom Advanced Chair-side lamp to accelerate the bleaching process
4. The patient is then explained about the special care to be taken after bleaching procedure.

Porcelain fused to metal crown: In this type of crown, the inner body of the crown is made up of metal alloys and the outer portion is layered with porcelain which mimics the natural tooth color. It has the dual advantage of the strength of metal alloys and the esthetics of porcelain. Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.

All ceramic crowns: As the name suggests, the entire crown is made up of a single ceramic material called zirconium. This is a newer advancement in dental restorative materials. It is a biocompatible material and has superior properties of strength, longevity, and excellent esthetics. These types of dental crowns provide the best natural colour match compared to any other crown type. They are commonly recommended for all teeth and is especially advised for the front teeth. They’re also a good choice if you have metal allergies.

How is it done?

A crown typically requires two visits. In order to fix a crown, the tooth needs to be ground down in order to make space for the cap. After this a copy of the tooth is made which is used to fabricate the crown at a dental laboratory. In the next visit, the dentist will evaluate the fit of the crown. If found satisfactory, the crown will be fixed to the tooth using a permanent cement.