Dental crowns cover the entire tooth above the gums. They are used in various cases, including:
• Holding a dental bridge.
• Covering a broken or very worn tooth.
• Covering a dental implant.
• Preventing a weak tooth from breaking or holding together a cracked tooth.
• Covering discolored or malformed teeth.
Crowns can be made from a variety of materials. Gold crowns are visually appealing, thus popular.
For adult patients, stainless steel crowns are used on permanent teeth until a permanent crown can be made. This temporary crown provides protection until the permanent crown can be implemented. When used for children, they cover a baby tooth that is decaying. Once the baby tooth comes out, prior to the growth of the permanent tooth, the crown comes out, too. Stainless steel crowns are usually used on children, because once the crown is on, the child does not need to make any further trips to the dentist; the crown will remain on the tooth until the tooth itself comes out.
Porcelain dental crowns (porcelain fused onto metal) can be made to match the color of the person’s natural teeth. This means that they look more like real teeth than any other crown. These crowns, though, do not wear as well as crowns made of resin or metal. They are also prone to chipping.
Another way to match the color of the patient’s real teeth is to use a crown that is either entirely porcelain or entirely ceramic. This is a good choice for people who are allergic to metal. As with the porcelain-metal crowns, they are not as strong as metal crowns.
One of the cheaper options is an all-resin crown. These, though, will also wear down eventually. Furthermore, they can fracture more easily than the porcelain-metal hybrid.
The metal crowns, to which some patients are allergic, are often gold. Some of the crowns made from less-expensive metals contain nickel, often a source of irritation not only in crowns, but in various forms of jewelry, including earrings. Metal crowns are highly suitable for back teeth, because they wear well and stand up to the tremendous force exerted by chewing. In addition, breakage rarely happens, and these crowns are highly resistant to chipping.
The choice of a crown is one best left to a consultation between the patient and the dentist. With such a wide variety to choose from, they are certain to find exactly the right crown type.
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