What is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown, also called a cap, is an artificial dental prosthesis or restoration that is placed over a damaged tooth by your dentist. The primary purpose of a dental crown is to restore the function and aesthetics of that tooth by reinforcing its structure.

A dental crown is fitted over your existing tooth structure using a dental adhesive(dental cement).

When Do You Need a Dental Crown?

You will be advised a dental crown by your dentist if you have a tooth that is weakened or broken by decay or a large filling. Other reasons for a dental crown include:

• To improve the appearance of a discolored tooth
• To restore form and function of a broken, worn-out or fractured tooth
• After a root canal treatment to strengthen the crown portion of the tooth
• As part of a bridge when a missing tooth or teeth need to be replaced
• On top of an implant to replace a missing tooth
• In case of a tooth that has a large cavity and the filling is too large

Dental crowns are not just for adults but are also given to children in the following cases:

• To protect teeth that are highly susceptible to tooth decay due to poor oral hygiene
• To save a tooth that has been severely damaged due to decay
• In children who require multiple and frequent dental treatments but cannot be administered frequent general anesthesia

What is a Dental Crown Made Of?

There are two main types of dental crowns–Permanent and Temporary. Both these types are made from different materials.

Commonly used permanent dental crowns are made from the following materials:

• All Metal

These crowns are made of base metal alloys like cobalt, chromium and nickel. They were popular earlier because they were strong enough to withstand biting forces, rarely chipped or broke, people were not too concerned about their aesthetics, and most important of them all – they were cheap.

• PFM or Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal

In these crowns, the color of the ceramic portion of the crown is matched with the existing teeth color of the patient, thereby increasing aesthetics. When fitted in the mouth, PFM crowns look like natural teeth. These crowns show thermal resistance and are highly durable.

• All Ceramic

These crowns are made entirely from ceramic or porcelain and have no metal in them. Though they are not as strong as metal crowns, they have superior aesthetics and so are preferred for front teeth.

• Zirconium

These are new-age crowns that are highly durable, strong, and have superior aesthetics. They are biocompatible and the best dental crowns to replace both front and back teeth.