Crowns

Dental crowns are considered to be the most extreme of cosmetic dentistry. Dental crowns are restorations that help protect badly damaged teeth. A crown can strengthen your existing damaged tooth so as to preserve its functionality.

Reasons for needing a crown(s) are significant tooth decay, large fractures, large cavities, after a root canal treatment and teeth grinding.

Dental crowns are never used at the wish of a patient as the crown needs significantly more preparation (drilling away the natural tooth substance). Crowns are only used in our clinic when the strength of a tooth could not support a less invasive procedure.

In modern-day dentistry there is a wide variety of materials that can be used to create a crown restoration.  The choices of materials are full gold, alloy metals fused with ceramic and full ceramic. After time, crowns that are made from a combination of metal and ceramic can begin to show a dark gum line that do not look very attractive and are very noticeable. We do not use a combination crown and will only use full ceramic crowns as part of our restoration procedure. Full ceramic crowns are the best choice for a more natural and aesthetic look and you will only receive this type of crown from our clinic.

As with any cosmetic procedure a full examination and consultation will be carried out to determine all treatment options and to discuss how a tooth is prepared for a crown. Like ceramic veneers there will normally be a minimum of two parts to the procedure requiring you to visit the clinic at least twice. The dentist will also check for any signs of gum problems as is standard practice when considering cosmetic dentistry.

A crowns life depends largely on how well you look after your teeth. Dental crowns require the same level of care and attention as your natural teeth. Provided you have a good oral hygiene program, attend regular check-ups, don't grind your teeth, maintain a tooth-kind diet and don't do things like open beer bottles with your teeth, a high-quality dental crown can last up to 15 years, sometimes longer.